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  • Posted by: Deegii Deegii
  • 08 May, 2026

Assembling a Mongolian ger is not only a fascinating process, but also a way to immerse yourself in ancient nomadic culture.

Interior ceiling of a Mongolian ger with a toono crown window at the center, two support pillars, and radiating roof poles.

The toono (crown window) lets in natural light and fresh air. It can be opened on warm days or covered during rain and cold temperatures.

For thousands of years, the nomadic herders of Mongolia have moved across the countryside from season to season. In a country where pasture was — and still is — public domain, herders travelled freely to the best grazing for each time of year. This life of constant movement and pastoral herding gave rise to the national dwelling: the Mongol ger. It is a round structure of collapsible lattice walls, roof poles and a crown-shaped roof ring, covered with felt and canvas and tightened with ropes. The ger was designed to be light enough to carry, quick to fold, pack and raise again, sturdy enough to survive countless moves — and easy to keep warm in winter and cool in summer. In 2013, the traditional craftsmanship of the Mongol ger and its associated customs was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Over many centuries the ger evolved into a near-perfect aerodynamic form, able to withstand Mongolia’s fierce spring winds of up to 18–20 m/s (about 65–70 km/h). Gers come in several sizes, but the most common is the five-wall ger: five folding lattice segments (khana) joined in a circle, a door, the toono — the crown-shaped roof ring that doubles as a skylight — two bagana columns supporting it, and 88 uni, the long roof poles radiating from the crown down to the walls. Over this frame go three or four layers of felt, traditionally made from sheep’s wool, finished with an outer skin of waterproof canvas.

In a traditional ger, the woodwork is painted with Mongolian ornament, the covers are of white felt and canvas, the ropes are braided from animal hair, and the floors are laid with hand-sewn felt carpets.

Steps for Assembling a Traditional Mongolian Ger

A small family of two or three adults can take a ger down in half an hour and raise it again in about an hour. The process follows the same order Mongolian nomads have used for centuries — from raising the lattice walls to laying the final canvas cover.

Three men arranging wooden lattice wall sections into a circle and fitting them to a door frame to assemble a Mongolian ger.

1. Placing the wooden lattice walls (khana) in a circle and connecting them to the door frame. Traditionally, the door should face south.

Wooden frame of a ger with orange uni roof poles radiating from the toono crown to the khana lattice walls.

2. Roof assembly: installing the two support pillars (bagana) and the crown (toono), then connecting them to the lattice walls with the roof poles (uni).

Two people carrying a large roll of grey felt toward a ger whose roof is partially covered with white cotton.

3. Laying the inner cotton cover over the roof frame while preparing the felt insulation layers.

A ger with a beige felt cover draped over the roof frame on an open green grassland.

4. Draping the felt insulation layer over the linen roof cover.

Two people wrapping brown felt insulation around the exterior walls of a ger on the green steppe.

5. Covering the walls with felt insulation.

A fully assembled traditional Mongolian ger covered in white canvas with an orange wooden door open, on a green grassy steppe.

6. The fully assembled ger, covered with white waterproof canvas and secured with ropes. All that remains is to furnish it.

Once assembled, the Mongolian ger is a warm, sturdy, and surprisingly spacious home: a testament to centuries of nomadic ingenuity. Step inside, make yourself comfortable, and experience the timeless hospitality of the great steppe!
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