Yurts are the most common form of traditional housing in Central Asia. They are constructed using expandable wood lattice frames, which are then covered with large sheets of dense felt made from the fleece of the sheep that are herded across the region’s grasslands. These portable buildings were historically transported on camel back or in carts pulled by horses or oxen. Many yurts today are made to be permanent dwellings, built with materials such as metal framing, wire, and canvas. This yurt has an unplumbed sink outside of it.

Yurt
2001
Photographer: Janice Arnold