Nomadic would be the single most fitting but insufficient word to describe the Mongolian culture. While half of the 3 million Mongolians live in the capital of Ulaanbaatar, many still practice a nomadic lifestyle not unlike their ancestors. Please note, that this is a personal and very limited view on this diverse culture, biased by the fact that I only visited the Hangai region. Ulaanbaatar, for example, is a sprawling modern city, with it’s own unique and urban flair, which I almost don’t mention here.
See also the album, Impressions from Mongolia, for some more pictures of the landscape and nature.
Tsetserleg, the capital of the Arkhangai aimag
Two animal herders have a chat.
Gers near Tsetserleg
A man drives a herd of horses.
A shepherd on horseback.
A Mongolian nomad’s wealth is counted in the number of animals he possesses. These goats and sheep are penned up for the night to prevent losses due to wolves.
Shepherd and his horse
Mongolian nomads rely on their livestock for food and the children, often on horseback, are tasked with sheep herding.
Shepherd
Goat milking
Rural scene
Bayankhongor, capital of the aimag (region) with the same name. While there are several apartment blocks, many of the 30000 inhabitants live in smaller wooden houses and even gers.
Bayankhongor.
Sunset over Bayankhongor
Two Mongolians on a ride out, coming from a wedding party.
Rural Scene
Horsemanship is a valued tradition in Mongolia, here young Mongolians compete against each other and show off their skills.
Young Mongolians show their skills by catching a selected animal from the herd.
Sunset over ancient hunnic grave stones. The Mongolian countryside is littered with remnants from these ancient nomadic tribes.
Village Scene
Jargalant sum
Bat-Ulzii sum
Cellphone tower in a sum (village)
A Mongolian scientist explains the geophysical instrument and measurements to a local nomad on horseback.
Yak cart
Three boys train for the Naadam horse races.
Family on a motorcycle
Every nomadic family owns one or several dogs to guard the ger and their sheep.
Father and daughter
Eej Khairkhan (mong. for Mother Mountain); worshipped by the locals, it is believed that the mountain blesses families with children.
With an altitude of 2275 m, the solitary peak in the Govi-Altai region dominates the horizon, even at a distance of 120km.
Some young goats climbing on clutter next to a ger in the Mongolian Gobi-Altai.
Ger at sunset
Family in front of their ger, note the satellite dish and solar panel to power the TV and charge a smartphone. Apart from few concessions to modern times, the housing of many nomadic families remains traditional.
Wheather- and windproof, well insulated with thick sheep wool but with natural ventilation, lightweight and easy to install and take down, the Mongolian ger is an ideal accommodation for the nomadic population.
In Mongolia it is customary for locals to invite travellers for rest and refreshment (milk tea and dried sheep/goat cheese) into their ger.
Arrol, Mongolian traditional cheese made from sheep and goat milk, is usually served to travellers as a gesture of hospitality.
Inside a ger, the centre is occupied by a stove and colourful cloths decorate the walls. Our host prepares a stew. Stones are heated in the fire and then placed in the pot for a special taste.
With a diet that consist of mainly meat, many Mongolians butcher their animals themselves.
Beef stew in a restaurant, due to the rain sheep are butchered inside.
Grandfather and granddaughter playing table tennis.
The main road from Ulaanbaatar to Tsetserleg after a heavy hail storm.
Unpaved main road
Besides very few paved roads, the Mongolian road network consists of unmaintained tracks.
Rivers aplenty but few bridges in the Mongolian wilderness. Fording is unavoidable if you want to get anywhere.
The Mongolian ovoo is a sacred heap of stones and wood, often raised on mountain tops or passes, and serves as a place of worship in the Mongolian tradition. For travellers it is customary to circle the ovoo thrice in clockwise direction and place stones or offerings on top. Here, a Buddhist prayer wheel is placed alongside the ovoo.
Buddhist temple in Karakorum
Prayer Wheels next to a Buddhist temple in the ancient Mongolian capital of Karakorum.
Buddhist temple, most of them were destroyed during soviet times. Today some are reconstructed and Buddhism coexists peacefully besides traditional shamanistic/naturalistic religions.
Naadam, the national holiday, is probably one of the best occasions to get a glimpse of Mongolian customs. Archery competitions, horse racing and wrestling are the highlights of the festivities. While Ulaanbaatar hosts the largest Naadam, smaller rural festivities are much more immersive.
Naadam scene
Naadam visitor in a deel, the traditional Mongolian coat.
Naadam
Naadam, I don’t know the meaning of this costume.
Naadam game, where one has to shoot the gaming pieces on top of the wooden box.
Naadam
Horse races are one of the highlights during Nadaam, the Mongolian national holiday. Nomadic families show off their horses and the entire village gathers at the finish line to see the winner.
For the horse races during Nadaam, the Mongolian national holiday, the horses are ridden by children. Lighter jockeys mean faster horses.
Naadam horse race
Exhausted horse and rider shortly before the finish line. Depending on the age of the horse, the races can be as long as 30 to 40 km.
Audience at the finish line of the horse races
Spectators follow the horse races by driving or riding alongside the competitors.
Archery competition at Nadaam
Naadam archery competition, the only one of the competitions, where women are allowed to participate.
Ovoo with offerings in the form of cheese, bread and sweets
Singers and dancers perform for a music video at Naadam
Horsetail banners, according to the legend, the use of these banners can be traced back to Genghis Khan.
Naadam
Naadam
Horses are an important part of the Mongolian culture and especially young men like to parade on horseback in front of the audience at Naadam (including foreign photographers)
Show-off of horsemannship
Music performance at Naadam
Naadam wrestler
Wrestling finalists, the Wrestling championships are the other one of the highlights at Naadam. The Winner earns fame, glory and a fat prize.
Naadam wrestling
Naadam wrestling
Naadam wrestling
Naadam wrestling
Naadam wrestling
A view from the Zaisan Monument over Ulaanbataar.
The Zaisan Monument, located on a hill on the southern edge of Ulaanbaatar, commemorates fallen soviet soldiers during WWII.
Narantuul (literally black market), a bazaar style market in Ulaanbaatar
Leather at Narantuul
Leatherboots at Narantuul
Fabric at Narantuul
Brass figurines at Narantuul
Knifes at Narantuul
Traffic jam, Ulaanbaatar is clogged by car traffic
Traffic policeman in Ulaannbaatar
Close to Sukhbaatar Square in Ulaanbaatar, the low building on the left is the parliament.
Ulaanbaatar at night
