Yurts have been well-documented through history. The Buryat Mongolian community of Siberia claim their land as the birthplace of the ger, and the earliest known depiction of the structure comes from a bronze bowl unearthed in the Zagros Mountains of Iran. The bowl dates to about 600 BCE.

How long have Yurts been around?

History. Yurts have been a distinctive feature of life in Central Asia for at least three thousand years. The first written description of a yurt used as a dwelling was recorded by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus.

Where was the first yurt built?

Yurts originated among nomadic groups in the steppes of central Asia, with coverings made of animal skins or felt. The structure goes back multiple millennia: Yurt (in the Turkic language), ger in Mongolian, and the Russian yurta have at least a 3,000-year history.