How To Put Up a Yurt
Finally got around to digging up some old photos I took several Nauryzes ago (several years ago on Nauryz). It was my first year in Kazakhstan and I went to Duman to watch them put up the yurts, having never seen this before. Watching, I got the idea to do a little photo instructable on how to put together a yurt. While I doubt anyone could use these instructions to actually build a yurt themselves, I hope it’s interesting to see the different steps involved.
The materials all laid out. Believe it or not, this is all you need (except for the outside covering). The shanyrak or roof and the wall frames.
For fancy yurts, step one is to put up the door. Simpler yurts have no door, only a doorway.
Step two: tie together the pieces of the wall frame to create the round base.
The base, all set up.
Step three: The trickiest part is putting the shanyrak up. As you can see, one guy uses a forked stick to hold the shanyrak up from the middle of the yurt, while the others insert the roof supports into holes in the side of the shanyrak and then tie them to the wall frame
It’s not as easy as it looks trying to keep the shanyrak in place and stable.
Putting more and more roof beams in.
Tying off the roof beams
Step four: With the walls and roof frame in place, time to put on the walls. This yurt is a show yurt so the roof and wall covering is one piece, conveniently shaped.
Another shot of getting the covering on.
Pulling it down.
A more traditional yurt, where the felt walls are wrapped around the walls and the roof is then thrown on top.
Roof going on.
The finished product.
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Thanks for sharing the photos on yurt building. We have some Canadian campsites that uses yurt, and there are companies that sell make-it-yourself-yurt-building kits. So, naturally, it is fascinating to see your photos.
Glad it was interesting. I did mix photos of a real yurt with ones that have just use a solid metallic frame, which is cheating a bit!
Hello, KzBlog!
Can I republish your photos to ATYRAUJOURNAL with reference to your blog? Thank you!
By the way, great post!
Yerlan.
Yerlan: As long as you link back to my site and give me credit, you can repost some of the photos. I’d prefer you didn’t just copy my entire post and republish it–just because that sets a bad precedent, but feel free to repost a few pics.
Hi, We just pulled out of storage a traditional yurt. It is in good condition. We really need the office space this weekend and have no idea what to do with all of the pieces. It looks alot like your posts though the roof beams do not have the curve at the end. It has the felt front door, some triangel light wieght 2 foot things, all wood strong yet light, painted orange with art work. have top cover. Any one have instructions how to put it together. Your sight was inspirational, thanks, Kim.
Hey Kim. I’ve helped put together a yurt in Kyrgyzstan where they have tourist companies that will bring a yurt to you and let you and your friends/workmates/students help put it up, but I couldn’t describe the process and the guy who owned the yurt grumbled and redid everything anyway. Never seen one where the roof beams aren’t already bent. I’ll put up a note on the homepage so people see your comment and hopefully someone can help. Glad you like the site.
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