A Life of Nomads
The Mongolian Ger-the traditional round-shaped tent has over than 2500-3000 years of history. It is made of the white felt and the most suitable dwelling for nomads and their lifestyle - easy to move and set up. The ger is seen all over Mongolia, iprobably the most identifiable symbol of the country. Most mongolians still live in gers, even in the suburbs of Ulaanbaatar. The mongolian ger looks small, but it is amazingly spacious inside, quite stable against strong winds and air is well ventilated in a ger.

Culture
According the scientific researches and archeologocal findings, it is proven that the ancient roots of the mongolian art and culture go back as far as to the times of prehistoric oral epics or perhaps even farther. The art and culture of the mongolians convey the flavor of traditions, customs of nomadic life and Asian culture as well. And buddhism and traditional belief of shamanism are the factors to shape the culture. Growing modernazination, new generation and development are also the things you should see. Mongolian music and fine arts are very rich and feature a unique style which can be found only in Mongolia. If you want more information about the fine art and music, see the appropriate section below.

Mongolian language

Mongol is a language rooted on altaic and the turkish languages. There are different dialects but the khalkha is main and official dialects. The traditional mongolian script of Uigur origin, written vertically, has been replaced by the cyrillic alphabet in 1945 due to russian influence. A switch back to traditional script has begun sine beginnig of 1990s.

Tsagaan sar

Tsagaan Sar is a huge celebration of the Lunar New Year, the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Tsagaan Sar is called white moon, because white colour stands for the simbol of purity and happiness. The festivities are held over three days in January or February depending on the year?s sequency. Tsagaan Sar is also the time for national games and horse races. Bituun - the last day of the old year, Lunar New Year eve. Families are gathered around richly served tables and have dinner. Zolgokh - this is a traditional greeting. It is rather like shaking hands in the west, usually reserved for Tsagaan Sar, where younger people give their respect to the older generations.

Naadam /Traditional Sport Festival/
The biggest event of the mongolian year is the Naadam festival held in July all over Mongolia, but the biggest and central one is held in Ulaanbaatar. The Naadam combines sports, traditions, customs, and arts. Naadam is properly known as Eriyn Gurvan Naadam, the three manly sports(three games of man) of wrestling, archery and horseracing.

Wrestling - is probably the major attraction of the games. Mongolian wrestling is very different thanany other wrestlings in the world. ? Another important part of the naadam is horse racing. Usually, small children ride the fastest horses without any saddle.

Archery - was a necessary skill for the mongolians in the old days: it was used for hunting and later for fighting. Now it is one of the games of the naadam.

Traditional food
The mongolian diet is dictated by their way of life. it has got a lot of dairy products and meat (meat has always been an important ingredient of the mongolian food) served in various styles. The main drinks are tea, milk, airag (fermented mare? s milk, probably the most favorite drink of the mongolians, generously served at weddings, big parties and ceremonies).

Fine art
The mongolian fine art probably started when the first men from the stone age drew the first picture on the walls of a cave. The mongolian fine art is connected with the central asian fine art. The mongolians used mostly paints and materials of natural or animal origin: animal skin, felt, wool, bones, horns and other natural items.

Urtiin duu - The mongolian long song accompanied with a morin khuur is a unique style of traditional mmusic. Anyone who listens to a mongolian long song will experience another significant feature of Mongolian culture: colorful images of the beautiful mountains, endless steppes, gobi deserts, and the forests of the Khangai, inevitably arise in one? s mind.
 

Painting - Mongol zurag is a distinct style of painting that has accumulated many centuries of rich experience of mongolian artists. The most renowned painter of the mongol zurag school is B.Sharav. "One day in Mongolia" is his most famous painting, depicting every aspect of nomadic people?s life in Mongolia in a light humorist way.

Torgon urlag or appliquesthangka - has been perfected for many centuries from the times of the huns. It has got a specific design, combination of colors and way of painting. Natural paints made of gold, silver, coral, turquoise, pearl, bronze, coopper and other minerals were used for torgon urlal, religious painting thangka was widely developed in Mongolia.

Traditional dress - the del, a long one piece gown made from wool. Most mongolians have several different del, suitable for the different seasons, as well as a more decorative del for special occasions. The Gutul is the high boot made from thick leather. Most museums in Ulaanbaatar and the aimag capitals have displays of traditional clothing. The best collection is on the 2nd floor of the National museum of Mongolian History in Ulaanbaatar.

Contortionism - Young Mongolian girls bend their bodies in ways that will defy nature. Contortionism has been a tradition in Mongolia for several hundreds years. It was first performed in Mongolia during the Buddhist tsam mask dances, and then included in several famous Mongolian plays.