Setting Up a Yurt

The Size of the Yurt and Its Furnishings

The orientation of the entrance to the yurt, the space inside the yurt, and around it had significant meaning. Most groups of Kyrgyz oriented the entrance of the yurt to the east, later establishing it "depending on the conditions of the terrain" (Abramzon, 1991, p. 127). The living space in the yurt reflected the social structure and hierarchy of the nomadic society. It is divided into four parts:
1) ter — the place opposite the entrance to the yurt, behind the hearth, the most honored spot. Here were located guests, elder men of the family, and stacks of blankets, felt, carpets, and outer clothing were placed on chests and special stands;
2) er jak — the men's side, traditionally the left side from the entrance, where middle-aged and young men were placed, and there was a sleeping area for newlyweds;
3) epchi jak — the women's part of the yurt, on the right side from the entrance; behind a screen made of mats chygdan (kitchen) were stored household utensils and food supplies; kulaga, the area near the threshold on the men's side, where horse gear and other household items were kept. In the center of the yurt was an open hearth kolomto (Antipina, 1962, pp. 167-171; Kochkunov, 2001, pp. 282, 283).

The size of the yurt and its furnishings reflected the social status of the family. Wealthy people could have yurts of impressive sizes, determined by the number of bash heads, i.e., the forks of the lattice strips to which the lower ends of the dome poles were tied. A small yurt "had 70-80 heads, while the largest had 360" (Alymbaeva, 2000, pp. 92-107). Wealthy families had several yurts: everyday ones - uy, guest yurts - konok uy, ordo uy, and those intended for household needs - ashkana uy. If the head of the family had several wives, a separate yurt - erge - was set up for each. The yurt of the head of the family or family-clan group was called chon uy ("big yurt").

The establishment of a yurt is associated with certain beliefs, various rituals and ceremonies of family and community cycles, the main purpose of which was to ensure the happiness and well-being of its inhabitants. When constructing a yurt, the Kyrgyz usually left one or two elements unfinished in the wooden part or in the coverings. The latter were prepared by the wives of relatives, finishing them after the owner of the yurt performed the necessary rituals. This was done to avoid "the evil eye," as it was believed that a new yurt could easily fall under the influence of "evil spirits." The hoop of the yurt was raised by a respected person, after which a white shirt was put on him, tied with a white sash. The first person to enter the established yurt was an elderly woman, who would scatter sweets and boorsok widely from the threshold - chachyla chachat and others. In some areas of the Chuy Valley, the floor was sprinkled with milk - ak chachat, and in the Tian Shan, it was sprinkled with flour Un. When establishing a new yurt, a placating feast - tuloo or uy toyu - a housewarming was necessarily arranged.

On this occasion, a sheep was slaughtered. The head of the sacrificial animal was thrown raw through the chimney of the yurt; it was caught and taken away by someone from the community. In the new yurt, as a talisman, a piece of old felt was sewn onto the koshmu or mat.

Koshma - clothing for the yurt