Welcome to Mongolia!

Visitors tell us that our hospitality is unmatched. In a nomadic culture where people are always on the move, being hosted by strangers is a daily occurrence. In the rugged steppes of Mongolia, where the climate is harsh and distances are vast, turning away a guest is unthinkable.

Here, guests are welcomed into homes and treated like friends, regardless of where they come from or where they're going. Warm tea and a bowl of soup are freely offered, much like saying "hello - sain baina uu," as are invitations to stay a while with a herder or even in the apartment of an urban family.

Hospitality, perhaps more than anything else, is what impresses visitors most about Mongolia. Unlike the fierce reputation of ancient Mongol warriors, modern Mongolia is a nation that welcomes visitors with love and open arms. Being a visitor in Mongolia means being an honored guest in the shared home of an entire nation. Come and let us be your hosts!

Population

To an outsider looking at Mongolia, considering its modest population of just 3.3 million people, with a density of only 1.8 people per square kilometer, one might imagine that it is inhabited by a single ethnicity. However, Mongolia's social and cultural fabric is incredibly diverse, encompassing a total of 20 different ethnic groups. One of these, the Kazakhs, is not Mongolian but Muslim, descendants of Turkish tribes known for their skill in training eagles for hunting. Then come the Dorvod, Bayad, Barga, and Buriad. The people of Dariganga are renowned for their unique traditional songs, blacksmithing and silversmithing skills, and handicrafts. Other ethnic groups include the Zakhchin, Uriankhaj, Torguud, Darkhad, Myangad, and the reindeer herding Tsaatan.

The Mongolian Language

Mongolian belongs to the Altaic language group, thus having connections with Turkish and Korean. Despite the presence of many dialects in Mongolia, Khalkha is the official language. The traditional Mongolian script, called Vaghintara, has Devanagari origins and is written vertically. After using the Latin alphabet since 1921, Mongolians switched to Cyrillic in 1945 under Russian-Soviet influence. Since 1990, the traditional script has been reintroduced and taught in schools.

Deel - Traditional Mongolian Attire

The Deel represents traditional Mongolian clothing, a unique garment with a simple cut that, when tied at the waist, serves as a robe. In addition to being worn, herders also use it as a blanket. During winter, the Deel features long sleeves and high collars, padded with sheep wool for warmth. Once tied at the waist, the upper part of the Deel becomes a practical pocket. Historically, the Deel has played an important role in indicating a person's social status, based on the quality of the fabric, design, and accessories. Each Mongolian ethnic group has its own traditional costumes, characterized by unique weavings and designs in the Deel. Since 1990, the Deel's style has undergone a renewal with the introduction of new designs and modern fabrics. It is not only worn during festivities but also in everyday life. An enchanting collection of ethnic Deels is housed at the National Historical Museum.

Gutal - Mongolian Footwear

Mongolian footwear consists of long boots made from cowhide, characterized by raised tips and adorned with intricate designs and stitching. The raised tips hold symbolic, religious, and practical significance. Symbolically, they represent the motif of the serpent, known as Nāga in Sanskrit or Lu in Mongolian, a design reminiscent of the overlapping roofs of temples. From a religious standpoint, particularly in Buddhism, they allow the wearer to see where they are stepping, avoiding harm to any form of life, including insects. Practically, boots with raised tips provide riders with good stability in the stirrups.

Holidays and Festivals

Tsagaan Sar, celebrated by Mongolians for over 2,000 years, also known as the "White Month," marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Falling between January and February according to the lunar calendar, Tsagaan Sar symbolizes the rebirth of new life and wishes prosperity and wealth for families. The celebration lasts for three consecutive days, during which elders and respected relatives are visited. It's an occasion for gathering, rejoicing, exchanging gifts, and news. Families prepare for the festival a month in advance, stocking up on food like buuz (dumplings) and gifts. In rural areas, celebrations can last more than a month due to distances and weather conditions. Monasteries and Buddhist temples offer rituals and religious services for the well-being and blessing of the faithful. Tsagaan Sar is a unique opportunity to share the sacredness of this festival with the nomads of the steppes, who celebrate the end of winter.

Naadam is an ancient ceremony testing the courage, physical strength, equestrian, and archery skills of nomads. It is held annually from July 11th to 13th nationwide. These "three virile games" include horse racing, wrestling, and archery. Horse races can exceed 30 km and involve young riders as young as six years old. Wrestling begins with a traditional eagle dance to uplift the spirits of the wrestlers, while archery traces its roots back to the times of Genghis Khan's warriors. There are also minor competitions, such as sheep or goat ankle bone throwing, involving participants.

Traditional Mongolian Music

The Morin khuur is a two-stringed fiddle that holds a central role in Mongolian nomadic culture. This string instrument, adorned with carved horse headstock, has been mentioned in written sources since the 13th and 14th centuries during the Mongol Empire. Beyond its musical function, the fiddle holds significance as an integral part of rituals and daily activities among Mongolian nomads.

The design of the Morin khuur is closely linked to the horse cult, featuring a trapezoidal hollow body attached to a long fretless neck extending to a head carved like a horse's head. Beneath the head, two tuning pegs protrude like ears from either side of the neck. The soundboard is covered in animal skin, while the strings and bow are made from horsehair. The instrument's distinctive sound is produced by rubbing or stroking the bow across the two strings, with techniques involving various right-hand strokes and left-hand fingering. Primarily a solo instrument, it sometimes accompanies dances, long songs (urtiin duu), mythical narratives, or ceremonies and daily activities related to horses. To this day, the Morin khuur repertoire includes melodies (tatlaga) specifically intended for animal husbandry, but musical transcription has always been challenging due to the simultaneous presence of a main tone and harmonics. Therefore, Morin khuur music has been orally transmitted from master to disciple for many generations.

Urtiin duu, or "long song," is one of the two main forms of Mongolian singing, the other being Bogino duu, or "short song." Urtiin duu, as a ritual expression associated with significant celebrations and festivals, holds a special place in Mongolian society. It is performed during weddings, housewarming ceremonies, celebrations for the birth of children, branding of foals, and other social events linked to nomadic life. Urtiin duu can also be heard during Naadam, the annual celebration of Mongolia's Independence, where the "Three Manly Sports" take place: wrestling, archery, and horse racing.

Mongolian Khuumii, or throat singing, has four distinct registers. During singing, the vocal cords produce two simultaneous tones, one high-pitched and one low-pitched, requiring special breathing skills. Khuumii is considered an art form rather than just singing, where the throat becomes a musical instrument.

The Mongolian Ger

The ger, or "home" in Mongolian, is akin to a precious gem of the steppes. Not only practical for daily life, but it also holds great significance for Mongolians. Perfected to meet the needs of nomadic life, the ger, or yurt in Turkish, is a circular structure covered in felt with lattice walls that can be erected and dismantled in an hour. Made with lightweight materials, it's easily transportable by herders on camels or horse-drawn carts. Gers are adorned with intricately carved doors and columns, along with handwoven fabrics. The two pillars supporting the Toono (the circular opening in the roof) symbolize the man and woman of the family, and walking between them is considered unlucky. The light filtering through the roof indicates the time of day, and the doors face south to shield from cold winds. Another important rule is to never step on the threshold of the ger, as it would be seen as disrespectful to the head of the household.

Inside a ger, furniture is arranged according to the years of the lunar calendar in a clockwise direction. The most honored spot is the khoimor, facing the door, where the family keeps its treasures. The position of the khoimor corresponds to the year of the rat, a symbol of abundance. The door is associated with the year of the monkey, as foreigners and guests enter through it, which is an exception to the symbolic rule. From a religious standpoint, the ger resembles a white conch shell, symbolizing liberation from ignorance in Buddhism. Staying in a ger offers a blend of comfort and authenticity.

For a unique and personal experience, consider a ger as your home away from home!

Nomadic Mongolia

Mongolians, among the last remaining nomadic peoples in the world, still roam the vast steppes devoid of fences, living in traditional felt-covered gers. For over 3000 years, the people of the steppes, also known as the "five animals," have embraced the nomadic way of life, following seasonal changes and moving in search of the best pastures. They rely entirely on their livestock, known as the five snouts, which include horses, camels, sheep, goats, and cows. Reindeer, on the other hand, are raised by the Tsaatan, who live in the mountains near Lake Khuvsgul, bordering Siberia.

The horse is not only a valuable asset for Mongolians but also a vital means of survival. It deeply symbolizes nomadic culture, where every nomad can ride as much as they can walk. Mongolian horses, with their broad chests and short legs, are surprisingly sturdy and resilient to extreme conditions. They live in herds year-round, watched over by herders to protect them from wolves during the winter.

A distinctive product of Mongolia is airag, fermented mare's milk, valued for its health benefits and digestive properties. The various qualities of airag, depending on the region and the skill of the producer, can vary in taste and consistency. In Mongolia, airag holds the same cultural and social status as wine in Italy.

From yaks and cattle come meat, leather, and milk, used to produce a wide range of dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, and aaruul, a kind of dried curd that constitutes a staple food during the summer months. Aaruul is dried on the roofs of gers and consumed year-round.

Sheep are the most common livestock, providing meat that is an essential part of the nomadic diet. Their skin and wool are used for clothing and to make the felt used in gers for insulation. Goats, on the other hand, are raised for their prized cashmere, a high-quality down globally renowned.

Surviving the winter and thriving in summer represents the typical nomadic lifestyle. While it may seem harsh from the outside, considering the harsh winters and short summers, for nomads, it's simply the life and land they love.

In the Gobi Desert, Bactrian camels, with their two humps, provide meat, milk, and wool, as well as being used for riding and transportation.

Nomads dedicate their days to caring for their livestock: tending, milking, shearing, or combing, to produce felt clothing, cheese, and other dairy products. They use the uurga or lasso to capture wild horses to tame or milk.

Flavors of Mongolia

Traditional Mongolian cuisine is simple yet hearty, featuring rich broths, cooked or boiled meat (beef, mutton), noodles, and plentiful dairy products. Mongolians tend to favor delicate, non-spicy foods, largely due to the harsh continental climate that limits the availability of spices.

During the summer, there's a tendency to consume more dairy products (yogurt, dried curd, cheese, and cream), sweets, and beverages like tea and airag. Nomads, in particular, reduce their meat consumption to cleanse their bodies after the long winter months, opting for dried meat or borts, rich in nutrients. Mongolian tea, made with ground tea leaves, salt, and milk, is a refreshing beverage especially appreciated during the hot summer months. Airag, fermented mare's milk, is a popular drink in summer, rich in over 12 essential vitamins and with an alcohol content ranging from 6% to 12%, depending on the region of production.

When visiting Mongolia, an essential culinary experience is trying khorkhog (various meats cooked on heated stones), boodog (meat cooked in the animal's own skin, usually mutton), buuz (steamed dumplings), huushuur (fried dumplings), lapsha (noodle soup), tsuivan (stir-fried noodles), and so on.

Today, Mongolian cuisine has opened up to international influence, including a variety of vegetables and salads. In Ulaanbaatar and other major urban centers, you can enjoy dishes from around the world, ranging from Thai, Japanese, Brazilian, Russian, French, Indian, and Italian cuisine to German and beyond.