UZBEK YURTA

  By the end of 19th century the main uzbek dwelling was yurta, and only the tribes which lived high in the mountains, had very primitive clay buildings. The other tribes begun to built the clay buildings only at the 20th century. Living in clay houses the Uzbeks did not forget their ancient transferable dwelling.

  Yurta - ui or kora-ui which used to be the only dwelling of the Uzbeks in some past, nowadays exists along with warm winter houses, but for a most part it used only by shepherds in the mountains. The openwork wall of yurta consists of a few sections - keraga. Spherical roof is made of long poles -uuk, one end of the poles are fasten up to the wall of the yurta and another ones put in the hole of big wooden circle that crown the cupola of the yurta. From the outside, the Yuta is covered with felt, or mat fixed to the yurta by the wide strips of carpet - bou or boshkur. In the centre of the yurta was located the fireplace with tripod for pots. On the cupola left the hole for light and smoke. In cold days or in rainy days the top hole was shut tightly with a piece of felt and prevented the wind or moisture from penetrating inside. Inside walls were decorated with straw mats. In wintertime the Uzbeks put along the walls 2-3 rows of straw mats and the space between them stuffed with straw. The floor was covered with carpets and sheep skins.

  Poor people could not afford themselves expensive yurts, and they built primitive huts - kappa, round or rectangular in form. In that huts they spent winter. Later appeared clay huts with reed roof - chubtora.