Mongolia lies in north central asia between Russia and China. Once known as “Outer Mongolia,” in 1990, it broke with the old Soviet Union and became an independent democracy. Mongolia has about 3.4 million people, about 40% live a pastoral nomadic lifestyle. Without doubt, this is a horse culture with the population leading a simple subsistence life.
Geographically, Mongolia is landlocked and about the size of Alaska. The land is dry with grassy plains called “steppe.” However, densely forested mountains can also be found in the north. The north also has Khovsgol Lake, a major tourist and vacation spot for Mongolians. The central and southern parts of the country are dominated by the Gobi Desert which includes great sand dunes but mostly dry grassy semi-arid steppe. Mongolians speak their own language and use the cyrillic (Russian) alphabet for written communication. The predominant religion is Buddhism.
The Gobi Desert
The Gobi Desert is a vast, arid region in northern China and southern Mongolia. It's known for its dunes, mountains. The Gobi is considered extremely dangerous because of a lack of water and extreme high and low temperatures.
Popular within the Gobi are Khingoryn Els - the "Singing Sands" and Bayanzag - The "Flaming Cliffs."
Ger in the Gobi
Gobi at Sunset
Khongoryn Els: is popularly known as the "Singing Sands". The dunes are expansive and extend to over 373 square miles. The dunes continually change shape due to wind and reflect yellow-white colours as the intensity of light changes during the day.
As the sand is moved due to winds or is in the process of collapse due to small avalanches, a strong sound is made giving it the name "Singing Sands." The sound has been compared to the sound made by an aircraft during take-off or landing.
Khongoryn Els
Khongoryn Els
Bayanzag, the "Flaming Cliffs:" is a region of the Gobi Desert in which important fossil finds have been made. The area area is most famous for yielding the first discovery of dinosaur eggs. Other finds in the area include specimens of velociraptor. The nickname refers to the red or orange color of the sandstone cliffs (especially at a sunset)
Bayanzag
Bayanzag
Mongolian Culture
Mongolia is a rich cultural melting pot of shamanism and Buddhist beliefs with an infusion of nomadic values and traditions.
About 40 percent of the Mongolian population is nomadic. Mongolian nomads live in "Gers" which are circular portable home. They set them up in spring for maximum summer pastures, then they move it again for winter feeding. The nomads are herders and typically own about 1,000 animals—mostly sheep and goats, but cows, horses, dogs, camels, and yaks as well. There is no question that they are a horse culture.
The men and women wear traditional dress called a “del” and the people are friendly and proud. Guests are always welcome in their homes Mongolians are know for their folk music and hoomi (throat) singing that just has to be heard.
Ger near Khövsgöl Lake
"Aaruui" Camel Milk Cheese
Ger Decorative Door
Reindeer Tribesman and TeePee
Bhuddist Site in Gobi Desert
Morin Khuur (Mongolian "Horse Head" Fiddle)
Sheep Shearing
Belt Buckle
Faces of Mongolia
Mongolian Camels
The Bactrian camel, also known as the Mongolian camel or domestic Bactrian camel, is a large even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of Central Asia. It has two humps on its back, in contrast to the single-humped dromedary camel.
Domesticated Bactrian camels have served as pack animals in inner Asia since ancient times. They have a strong tolerance for cold, drought, and high altitudes and are an important source for milk (and a cheese made from the milk) in the Gobi.
Khövsgöl Nuur Region
Khövsgöl Nuur (Lake) National Park is within the Sayan and Khoridol Saridag mountains. This park is anchored by Khövsgöl Nuur . This area, near the Siberian border, merges the raw beauty of the Siberian wilderness with the fascinating cultural tapestry of the world's largest nomadic nation. Khövsgöl Nuur is the largest freshwater lake in Mongolia, and second largest lake in the nation.
The region hosts a well known Reindeer Festival celebrating the region's reindeer tribes. Additionally, one of the largest Naadam Festivals outside the capital of Ulaanbaatar, is held there each year.
Mongolian Horses
The horse is an integral part of the Mongolian nomadic culture. Nomads living in the traditional Mongol fashion still hold more than 3 million horses, which outnumber the country's human population. In addition to the domesticated horses, Mongolia is the home of the Takhi horse, one of the last wild horse species remaining on earth.
Domesticated Horses: Domesticated horses serve as riding and transport animals. They are used both for the daily work of the nomads and in horse racing. Additionally, they are a source of food and provide a popular food source make from mare's milk.
Takhi Horses: The Takhi horse or Przewalski’s Horse is of the last remaining species of wild horse. The horse has two extra chromosomes, a large head, a fairly stiff neck and short mane. They cannot breed with domesticated horses and have never been broken despite centuries of attempts. The Takhi became extinct in the wild in the late 1960s and only 16 remained in zoos by the early 1990s. Shortly after Mongolia became a democracy in 1990, a program was established - with worldwide cooperation - to reintroduce the remaining animals to the wild. In 2009 there were only about 500 Takhi on three protected Mongolian reserves. Currently, there are 1900 Takhi horses and the population is growing.
Naadam Festival
Naadam is a traditional festival in Mongolia going back more than 2000 years. The festival is also locally termed "eriin gurvan naadam," "the three games of men". Naadam is the most widely watched festival among Mongols and has its origin in activities such as military parades and sporting competitions. The modern games which began in the 15th century are held throughout the country during midsummer. There are three competitions: Mongolian wrestling, horse racing, and archery. More recently, women have started participating in the archery and girls in horse-racing, but Mongolian wrestling is limited to males.
Wrestling: The rules are simple: The wrestling area is unrestricted; there are no weight-classes and the one who touches the ground with any part of the body, other than the feet, has lost. The winner moves to the next round. The loser has to stand under the wings of the proud winner. The wrestlers wear tight pants and a small vest with arms across the shoulders, which barely cover their bodies. Culturally, one is not considered a man unless one has wrestled, at least once, during Naadam.
Mongolian "gutals" (boots) date back to the Huns. They are made of cattle leather with stitched sole and have ornate decorations. Gutals are reasonably light and flexible and are integral to the wrestling outfit.
The match
Wrestling Judge
Each victor flies like an eagle after winning his match.
Competitors watching the action
No weight classes
Horse Racing: The most impressive spectacle is surely the horse racing. The horses race through the countryside and cover different distances (12 to 18 miles) according to their age class. There are no limits on the number of horses participating; usually 200-600 horses in each race. The child jockeys, both boys and girls, must be at least 7 years old. Most are under age thirteen. The winning horses are honored with a cup of mare’s milk on their neck, a blue scarf and a medal.
Archery: Archery skills are an integral part of nomads lifestyle. From the very childhood such qualities as perfect eyesight, measurement, patience and strength are nourished to develop a good archer. At Naadam, people may perform in individual competitions, but as a rule, several teams of archers compete. The targets are leather cylinders about 250 feet (75 meters) away.
Environmental Portraits
Mongolian musicians, singers and dancers in traditional dress.
Mongolia was such a great experience. The people were so friendly and traveling both to the desert in the south and the lakes in the north gave the trip a dramatic contrast.
L. Carl Volpe - carl.volpe@gmail.com
More images from Mongolia and my other trips may be found at the links below