DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.29463#0180
able. If one excludes here the impact of nomads building huge tents
of black wool in the Near East, some of which were gigantic and
supported by a great number of higher and lower poles, the Mon-
golian yurt attracts attention as a possible source of inspiration for
Turkish tent construction.
Although the word yurt is little known in English, it is a practical
word to use, denoting a tent form that is old and established and
has, until the present day, served a large part of the Mongolian
community as well as some other ethnic groups in Asia/ Above all,
there is also an important "yurt philosophy." In fact, it is one of the
most perfect dwelling structures invented, embodied in a round and
domed form, which constitutes a determined and separate microcos-
mos, a capsule of space and time. This shape appears to be most
resistant to the shocks of winds and snowstorms in the steppe cli-
mate. Felt, the basic material of the yurt, covered the structure of
wooden struts, the dome, and wooden trellises in the walls, which
could be opened and closed like scissors; in effect, this brought a
softness and cosiness that was lacking in stone, brick, or even wooden
buildings. The interior of the yurt was totally clad with hangings,
rugs, and cushions and was thus soft, comfortable, and colorful. A
yurt could at any time be rolled up and transported to another
place—a fact of prime importance in nomadic life. Sometimes yurts
were carried across the steppes on large wagons drawn by oxen or
horses.
The technical construction of both the old and modern yurts was
thoroughly examined by Peter A. Andrews and it is thanks to him
that this type of tent is better known than any other/ He writes:
"The felt tent is characterised as possessing a rigid, domed wooden
frame which, when erected, stands on its own and is not dependent
on the covering for support. In this respect it differs radically from
the black tent types used elsewhere by Arabs and others, the cloths
and poles of which are interdependent"/ He analyzes precisely the
top of the roof (the roof wheel), the struts of the dome, the wall
frame (trellis), and the door frame, the size of the tent and the felts,
the pitching, the cane screens, the felt door and door carpets, the
interior and exterior decoration, particularly the girths, the yurt's
adaptability for weather conditions, and the transport of such tents.
For the purpose of this study even more important is work con-
cerning the tents of Timur (called Tamerlaine) based on the report
156
of black wool in the Near East, some of which were gigantic and
supported by a great number of higher and lower poles, the Mon-
golian yurt attracts attention as a possible source of inspiration for
Turkish tent construction.
Although the word yurt is little known in English, it is a practical
word to use, denoting a tent form that is old and established and
has, until the present day, served a large part of the Mongolian
community as well as some other ethnic groups in Asia/ Above all,
there is also an important "yurt philosophy." In fact, it is one of the
most perfect dwelling structures invented, embodied in a round and
domed form, which constitutes a determined and separate microcos-
mos, a capsule of space and time. This shape appears to be most
resistant to the shocks of winds and snowstorms in the steppe cli-
mate. Felt, the basic material of the yurt, covered the structure of
wooden struts, the dome, and wooden trellises in the walls, which
could be opened and closed like scissors; in effect, this brought a
softness and cosiness that was lacking in stone, brick, or even wooden
buildings. The interior of the yurt was totally clad with hangings,
rugs, and cushions and was thus soft, comfortable, and colorful. A
yurt could at any time be rolled up and transported to another
place—a fact of prime importance in nomadic life. Sometimes yurts
were carried across the steppes on large wagons drawn by oxen or
horses.
The technical construction of both the old and modern yurts was
thoroughly examined by Peter A. Andrews and it is thanks to him
that this type of tent is better known than any other/ He writes:
"The felt tent is characterised as possessing a rigid, domed wooden
frame which, when erected, stands on its own and is not dependent
on the covering for support. In this respect it differs radically from
the black tent types used elsewhere by Arabs and others, the cloths
and poles of which are interdependent"/ He analyzes precisely the
top of the roof (the roof wheel), the struts of the dome, the wall
frame (trellis), and the door frame, the size of the tent and the felts,
the pitching, the cane screens, the felt door and door carpets, the
interior and exterior decoration, particularly the girths, the yurt's
adaptability for weather conditions, and the transport of such tents.
For the purpose of this study even more important is work con-
cerning the tents of Timur (called Tamerlaine) based on the report
156