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The place for the erection of the yurt is known as the jurt. As we have noted elsewhere, the use of the word yurt to denote a portable dwelling is strictly incorrect. It actually relates to the ground on which the yurt stands, or to a campsite, or to some other type of tribal territory. Previously the jurt was usually a circular section of packed clay, somewhat larger in diameter than the yurt and raised a little above the surrounding ground in case of rain. Now a custom-made circular section of raised wooden flooring is quite common. This can even contain slots for locating the door threshold.
The term u'y jay can also be used instead of jurt. Its literal meaning is yurt place. Traditionally this was a special roofed area or even a tall room inside of which the yurt was erected.
The Karakalpak yurt consists of the following components: The walls are made up of a number of trellis sections or qanats. The literal meaning of qanat is wing, quite a good description since a wing opens and closes. In the past these were often made of janewut (Salix songarica Dode) but they are now more likely to be made from poplar (terek) or willow (aq tal). This is due to the shortage of janewut because of the changing environmental conditions. The poles which form the qanats are called sag'anaq. They are slightly bent and are round in section unlike those used in the Qazaq yurt, which are flat. They are linked together using strips of camel hide (ko'k). Each pole has 21 holes which are positioned so that there is no hole at every fourth intersection. Consequently the poles of the qanat are not joined together at every joint. The position without a hole is called 'azat' (free). The inner poles run from top left to bottom right in the same way as the Turkmen qanat. In Qazaq, Uzbek, and Kyrgyz yurts they run from the bottom left to the top right.
The ko'k have a slit close to each end. The ko'k are put through the holes in the qanat poles while damp and then each end is passed back through its adjacent slit thereby forming a small loop on each side. When the hide dries it tightens and forms what is effectively a leather rivet. The diamond shapes formed when the qanat is opened out are known as ko'z or eyes. The qanats are joined together by lengths of narrow tapes, only 4cm wide, known as dizbe. They are normally patterned and are flat-woven from wool. Individual dizbe are not very long, so that they are easier to tie and undo. The joint of each qanat is known as a qarstrw, which literally means a crossing. When the qanats are joined together to form a circle (completed by the addition of the yurt door) they become the kerege and the diamond-shaped holes are then known as the kerege ko'z (eyes of the kerege). The forks formed at the top of the kerege by the poles crossing over each other are known as the keregebas (the head of the kerege).
Esiks are ornamented in a traditional way with vertical strips in appliqu or combination technique sewn onto the sides. These are known as shiyqayw. Another horizontal strip is sewn onto the bottom of the esik overlapping the shiyqayw, designed to prevent the ingress of water. This is known as the suwag'ar, which literally means gutter. In the centre of the esik is sewn the duwashq. This is made from material in the form of a triangle with the point downwards. It generally has tassels at each of the corners. The shape of this triangle calls to mind the tumar amulet and it is connected with pre-Islamic beliefs. Similar protective triangles can be seen on the back of men's postn coats and on children's clothing. In the past pieces of paper with verses from the Qoran were sometimes put into a pocket in the duwashq, thereby fulfilling a similar role to the ha'ykel worn by girls and women.
Structural Belts
The ishki beldew (inner waist belt) is a 30-40cm wide band which is positioned, with its pattern facing inward, through the gap between the right hand door leaf and the tulg'a and runs around the outside of the yurt halfway up the qanats. The end goes through the gap between the left hand door leaf and the other tulg'a and is turned back on itself by about one metre. The ends of the fringe are used to tie it to the kerege. This adds vital structural stability by constraining the circular wall. The ishki beldew is made from a warp and weft of white cotton and is patterned with coloured wool or silk threads using the pileless continuous supplementary weft weaving technique. The qzl basqur, or red main band, is a 60-70cm wide woollen pileless tent band. It is usually red and black. It has an important structural role to constrain the circumference of the roof and thereby maintain its pitch. Its bottom is aligned to the joint between the kerege heads (keregebas) and the uwq. Its upper edge is aligned to the start of the iyin or bend of the uwq.
The aq basqur, or white main belt, is a 40-50cm wide belt woven in combination technique. It has a white cotton warp-faced ground and is decorated with a raised woollen pile. The bottom edge of the aq basqur is aligned to the top edge of the qzl basqur, with its decoration facing inwards. The top edge is above the iyin of the uwqs. The aq basqur protects the outer felt from stretching or sagging in the gaps in between the uwqs. The belt begins and ends above the door in line with the tulg'a. The beljip, or waist rope, sits over the shiy (reed screen) approximately halfway up it. The two ends of this rope go from the tulg'a and are tied at the rear of the yurt. In the past a wider belt known as the srtq beldew (outer waist belt) was used. Occasionally the beljip is also called by this name. If a yurt is located in an exposed position ropes may be tied to stakes and fastened onto the beljip. In some remote villages the owner might tie an old metal wheel hub or a few heavy engine parts to the beljip instead.
Decorative Items
The loose ends of the aq basqur are concealed by the esikqas (which literally means the brow of the door), a small decorative rectangular all-pile weaving. This is positioned behind the uwqs facing inwards, exactly in line with the door above the qzl basqur and overlapping the ends of the aq basqur, thus "completing" the pattern around the yurt. A pair of ishki janbaw, or inner side
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tapes, are sewn to each side of the esikqas and hang like garlands with their other ends tied to the keregebas. The ishki janbaw are narrow tapes, woven in combination technique with a symmetrical design and a lower fringe of red and green tassels. Today it is very unusual to see a yurt with an esikqas. Where they still exist it is now more common to position the esikqas in front of the uwqs so it can be fully seen.
The ayaqbaw are a set of brightly coloured woollen cords with tassels at the end which are hung from the shan'araq and uwqs to great decorative effect. Shiyo'n'ir, or the breast of the shiy, are ornamented strips that hang vertically on either side of the outside of the yurt door. They are woven on a white cotton ground and are patterned with a woollen pile woven in combination technique. The pattern is usually a bold amuletic qoshqar mu'yiz or rams horns design. A pair of srtq janbaw (outer side tapes) hang like a garland at each side of the yurt door, mimicking the internal ishki janbaw. These too are woven in combination technique with a symmetrical design and a lower fringe of tassels. They are wider than the ishki janbaw, but not as wide as the aq basqur. One end is fastened to the tulg'a at the level of the beljip and the other is attached to a corner of the rear felt.
The roof wheel or shan'araq of the Karakalpak yurt is much more solid than that used in the Turkmen or Qazaq yurt. It has two rims, an inner one and an outer. The outer rim has holes through it, known as ko'z, into which the uwq are inserted. The convex top of the sha'naraq is formed by a set of thin laths which are splayed at the ends like a Maltese cross. These fan-shaped laths are known as the bo'genek. Arrow-shaped pieces of wood protrude from the rim of the shan'araq towards the centre. They are placed in groups of three in the centre of each quadrant and are known as gu'ldirewish. These combined
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with the double-rimmed shan'araq unmistakeably identify the Karakalpak yurt. The shan'araq is often lifted into position using a long post with a fork at its upper end. This post is known as a baqan and it is also used for placing the felts on the roof. Sometimes four uwqs are tied together with a dizbe to make a temporary equivalent. More dizbe are used to uniformly separate the uwqs and to strengthen the structure. As this is done the uwqs start to shift about and need a lot of adjustment. The uwqs have a natural tendency to fall sideways, which would result in the spiral collapse of the roof if left unchecked. By tightly linking the uwqs at the maximum point of their bend, these dizbe play a vital role in stabilizing the yurt roof.
The shatrash in a yurt at Erkindarya, formed by the interlacing of the qzl qur.
The second roof felt is known as the artq u'zik and this covers the rear of the yurt. It is the same shape as the front felt and also has narrow tent bands sewn onto it, this time on the outside. Again there are usually three bands on each side of the yurt roof. These are of white cotton and are known as the aq qur. They are interlaced on the outside of the felt above the yurt door, holding the roof down onto the uwqs. The bottom of each band is attached to the beljip. The final felt, which covers the smoke-hole, is known as the tu'n'lik. Long ropes go from the corners of the tu'n'lik to the beljip. When they need to open the smoke hole they untie one of these ropes and push the felt back with the aid of the baqan.
Reed Screens
Screens made of reeds are added to the outside of the kerege. In the past mats made from the stems of the tall and slender perennial steppe grass, shiy, were used (Lasiagrostis splendens Kunth). This grass, which occurs across Central Asia from Russia to Mongolia and China, forms large thick tussocks and its slender stems grow up to 2 metres tall. Despite being salttolerant this plant no longer grows in the delta as it cannot cope with the increasingly high levels of salinity. Today reeds are used instead.
The screens made from these reeds still retain the name 'shiy screens' regardless of the material from which they are made. They are constructed using goats wool, which was readily available but needed great skill to spin. In many Karakalpak villages all of the outhouses and fences for livestock areas are made of reeds. In the past many poor people who could not afford felt for the yurt roof used reeds instead. The screens are in two sections, each section is attached to one of the tulg'a and then unrolled so that they meet at the rear of the yurt. This means that they can easily be unrolled to let in air during the summer. The height of the shiy screen is level with the bend of the uwqs. Jez shiy are shiy screens decorated with a geometric ornament by winding coloured wool around each stem. These are rarely seen.
The yurt is divided (in a metaphorical not a physical sense) into three sections. The place of honour is known as the to'r and this is opposite to the yurt entrance. This is where the owner receives guests. The other divisions are labelled from the point of view of someone sitting at the to'r looking towards the door. The male half is the on' jaq or right side. Male accoutrements such as saddles, bridles etc. were kept here. The female half is the sol jaq or left side. Equipment for food preparation was kept here. This may include a manual mill (digirman), bags for provisions (shanash) hung onto the kerege, and containers made of hollowed-out pumpkin for storing water. Cutlery and other kitchen items were stored in kergi. These were large bags woven in a variety of techniques.
There is generally very little furniture in a yurt. The most common item is the sandq. This is a carved or painted wooden chest used for storage. The bedding, thin quilted mats known as ko'rpe, with bright cotton covers is normally stored on top of the sandq. A qarshn is also sometimes found on top of the sandq. This is a pile-faced bag used for storing the familys clothing.
aldng u'zik aq basqur aq tal artq u'zik ayaq baw azat baqan beljip bo'genek bosag'a dizbe duwashq ergenek esik
gu'ldirewish ishki beldew ishki janbaw iyin janewut jurt kerege ko'k ko'z man'laysha on' jaq otaw qa'lemshe
qanat qarag'ay qara u'y qarstrw qarshn qayn qzl basqur qzl qur qoshqar mu'yiz sag'anaq sandq shan'araq shatrash
shiy on'ir shiy qayw srtq beldew srtq janbaw sog't sol jaq suwag'ar terek to'r tulg'a tu'n'lik uwq u'y jay
References
Esbergenov, X., Chapter 1, Settlements and Dwellings [in Russian], in Ethnography of the Karakalpak from the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century, Published by Fan, Uzbek SSR, Tashkent, 1980. Sanqbaev, Q., Master Yurtmaker from Shmbay, Karakalpakstan, private discussions, 2001, 2002, and 2003. Savitsky, I. V., Applied Art of the Karakalpak Peoples, Carving on Wood [in Russian], Published by Science, Uzbek SSR, Tashkent, 1965. Shalekenov, U. Kh., Kazakhs of the Lower Amu Darya [in Russian], Fan
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Publishing, Tashkent, 1966. Tlewbergenova, N., A propos des habitations Karakalpaks [in French], in Karakalpaks et autres gens de l'Aral, Published by Edisud, Tashkent/Aix-enProvence, 2002. Xalmuratov, P. X., Dean of Botany, Institute of Pedagogy, No'kis, Karakalpakstan, private discussions, 2003 and 2004. Zhdanko, T. A., Ornamental Skills of the Karakalpak People [in Russian], Material and Research on the Ethnography of the Karakalpak, Part 2, pages 373 to 410, Published by the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow, 1958.
Visit our sister site www.qaraqalpaq.com, which uses the correct transliteration, Qaraqalpaq, rather than the Russian transliteration, Karakalpak.
This site was first published on 6 July 2006. It was last updated on 6 March 2012. David and Sue Richardson 2005 - 2014. Unless stated otherwise, all of the material on this website is the copyright of David and Sue Richardson.