Culture of Mongolia
One of the most distinctive aspects of Mongolian culture is its nomadic pastoral economy, which has shaped the traditional way of life for the Mongols for centuries.
The nomadic lifestyle is centered around the family and the community, and involves the herding of 5 main animals including sheep, goat, horse, cow, camel and some yaks.
This way of life has had a significant impact on Mongolian culture, influencing everything from the country's social relationships and family structures to its art, music, and literature.
The country's music and dance traditions are closely connected to its nomadic past and are an important part of its cultural heritage.
Mongolian culture is also known for its distinctive architectural style, which reflects the country's nomadic tradition and its harsh weather during the winter months and rugged landscape.
Mongolian homes or known as "ger" circular in shape and are constructed using a variety of materials including felt and wooden parts.
The interior of a traditional Mongolian "ger" is portable and can be easily dismantled and reassembled, making them well-suited to the nomadic lifestyle.
Mongolian traditional clothing has changed little since the days of the empire because it is supremely well-adapted to the conditions of life on the steppe and the daily activities of pastoral nomads.
It is a long, loose gown cut in one piece with the sleeves; it has a high collar and widely overlaps at the front.
Paintings of Mongols from Persian and Chinese sources depict men, and often women, wearing their hair in braids.
Men shaved the tops and sides of their heads, usually leaving only a short "forelock" in front and the long hair behind.
[1] Each ethnic group living in Mongolia has its own deel design distinguished by cut, color, and trimming.
However, being a country wrapped in China and Russia for a long time, the current Mongolian cuisine has its evolution that adapted from both Chinese and Russian dishes that turned into Mongolian style including goulash (slow cooked meat with gravy and vegetables served with rice and mashed potato), tsuivan (stir fried noodle with meat, potatoes and carrots), various stir-fried dishes and soups with veggies and meat.
The Mongolian government is concerned about maintaining control over fossils and cultural relics while scientists worry about such items disappearing into private collections.
[3] A smuggler was convicted in a New York court in December 2012 for looting Tyrannosaurus bataar skeletons originating from Mongolia and transporting them to the United States for sale.
Among the topics that are mentioned from the oldest works of Mongolian literature to modern soft pop songs are love for mothers, parents and homesickness, a longing for the place where one grew up.
The oldest completely passed down work of Mongolian literature is probably also the most well-known abroad: The Secret History of the Mongols.
Other pieces of literature have long been orally traded and typically consist of alliterative verses, and are known as Üligers, literally meaning tales.
Beginning in the 1650s, copies of religious texts like the Kanjur and Tanjur and also of epics like Geser Khan began to appear as block prints.
At the same time, social discontent and an awakening Mongol nationalism lead to the creation of works like Injanash's historical novel Blue Chronicle or the stories about "Crazy" Shagdar.
Since the 1990s, a number of small privately owned theatre companies, like Mask or Shine üe prodakshn have been founded.
They heavily focus on light comedies and skits, and also regularly produce clips that are distributed on DVD or the internet.
Among the first attempts to introduce modernism into the fine arts of Mongolia was the painting Ehiin setgel (Mother's love) created by Tsevegjav in the 1960s.
[10] Since ancient times Tengrism and Shamanism have been the dominant belief systems of the Mongols and still retain significant importance in their mythology.
During the era of the Great Khans, Mongolia practiced freedom of worship which is still a defining element of the Mongol character.
They might also be sent by some malicious shaman enraged by breaking some taboo, like stepping on a yurt's threshold, desecrating waters or mountains, etc.
Key traditional elements are throat-singing, the Morin Khuur (horse headed fiddle) and other string instruments, and several types of songs.
After democratization, film makers turned to international partners for support, as in the Japanese-Mongolian co-production Genghis Khan.
Independent directors like Dorjkhandyn Turmunkh and Byambasuren Davaa created movies that connected ancient traditions and mythology, and how they may relate to life in a modern world.
bars "tiger" = queen), temee (camel = bishop), mori (horse = knight), tereg (cart = castle), khüü (boy = pawn).
