MONGOLIA’S NOMADS

“They adapt naturally to the environment, despite the coldness, and receive in return life and prosperity: they are Mongolia’s Nomads”
Photos and text by Michele Martinelli

A man shows himself proudly in the saddle his horse.

The Silence is the protagonist of the boundless spaces beyond the Horizon.
They naturally adapt themselves to the environment, despite the difficulties, and receive in return life and prosperity: they are the Mongolia’s Nomads.
A temper molded by immovable territories and huge deserts that dissolve the concepts of space and time in a new dimension of the spirit, where the freedom, chased and built with pride, it is a sacred privilege.
An inheritance probably handed down by the Genghis Khan’s valorous warriors that created one of the largest empires of human history.

Photos and text by Michele Martinelli

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: At the edge of a paved road, a sign with an arrow indicates a small locality, but in reality, following that direction, one enters ancient lands where deep-rooted traditions are found. ©MicheleMartinelli

: Mongolian winters with harsh temperatures and food scarcity test the resistance of animals. With the arrival of spring the carcasses of the victims resurface from the desolate desert landscape as if they had been mummified ©MicheleMartinelli

: Mongolia, Gobi Desert, a woman carries Saxaul dry shrubs on her shoulders. The precious timber obtained from this desert plant is used by the desert nomads to heat their Gher. ©MicheleMartinelli

: the Gher is the typical home where the nomads of Mongolia live. The structure, completely disassembled and transportable, is made up of several layers of felt and waterproof leathers supported by a wooden structure. Inside are all the assets of the family, while outside there are small solar panels suitable to recharge some batteries useful for the operation of small appliances. ©MicheleMartinelli

: A Nomad inside his Gher. ©MicheleMartinellii

: Inside the Gher family each has a sort of showcase with several photographs depicting their ancestors and more recent moments of life, so as to form a sort of mosaic of family history. ©MicheleMartinelli

: Two children play horseback riding, in Mongolian nomadic culture the horse is at the base of everything and you have children being taught right away to ride a horse. ©MicheleMartinelli

: Small, but robust and frugal The horse is at the base of the nomadic culture of Mongolia. ©MicheleMartinelli

: In the light of the sunset a nomad riding his horse leads his flock made up of sheep and goats. ©MicheleMartinelli

: A flock of goats and sheep is gathered near the fence of a nomad camp. Mongolian nomads deal mainly with sheep farming, raising goats, sheep, yaks and camels. ©MicheleMartinelli

: A man shows himself proudly in the saddle his horse. ©MicheleMartinelli

: In una vallata nella steppa mongola, illuminato da un timido raggio di luce compare un Ail, un tipico accampamento nomade. ©MicheleMartinelli

: In the cold Mongolian steppe there are numerous coniferous woods, the camps are often mounted in their vicinity. Employed in multiple forms Timber is a fundamental resource for those who live in these areas. ©MicheleMartinelli

: A woman inside her own Gher shows an old picture of her family. Nowadays children have abandoned steppe and nomadic life to look for luck in the city, Ulan Bator capital. ©MicheleMartinelli

: The Yaks are an important resource for the nomads, being versatile animals that lend themselves to various uses: beasts of burden, transport animals, traction force in agriculture; they also supply milk, meat, wool and furs. Their physical structure is extremely adapted to a mountainous, impervious and cold environment. ©MicheleMartinelli

: In the early morning a woman is dedicated to milking the Yaks. ©MicheleMartinelli

: Elegant, the Asian camel takes the place of the yak in the desert and semi-desert regions of Mongolia, used by the nomads for meat, fat, milk, wool and as a transport animal. ©MicheleMartinelli

: An ovoo, which literally means “heap of stones”, is usually a pile of stone or wood that is frequently encountered in Mongolia. They are above all shamanic places of worship, but they are often also points of reference. When traveling, there is the custom of stopping and circling around the egg three times, clockwise, in order to have a safer path. Usually, stones are taken from the ground and added to the pile along with blue ceremonial scarves symbol of the sky and the god Tengri. ©MicheleMartinelli

: A rifle is leaning against a wall inside a Gher. Weapons are mainly used by nomads to defend against any Wolves attacks on livestock, an event that is far from rare. ©MicheleMartinelli

: Mongolian nomads are skillful knights and are regarded as direct descendants of Emperor Genghis Khan who rode across the asia creating his vast and glorious empire. ©MicheleMartinelli