Yurt means "people" or the "territory in which they move." In Mongolian, the name of the tent is ger, meaning "home." This building offers protection from hot summer climates, dry winds, rain, winter frost and snow storms in the steppe and is the traditional dwelling of nomads in Asia and the Far East.

Over the centuries, the nomadic yurt has undergone continuous evolution, with ongoing improvements in its structure, optimization of size, and ways of assembly and disassembly.

The size of the yurt is designed to be ergonomic to fit the needs of the inhabitants, ensuring an efficient home environment. 

The Mongolian yurt is a lightweight frame structure that can be quickly assembled and disassembled, making it easily transportable by pack animals. Architecturally, the yurt is a circular structure with a diameter generally ranging from 4.5 to 8 meters, reaching a central height of 4 to 5 meters. The frame of the yurt consists of a series of folding wooden lattices that determine the size and capacity of the dwelling. Each lattice consists of overlapping flat slats secured with leather straps, forming a shared wall.

The roof vault of the yurt consists of sixty planed poles (uni), while in the lower part they rest on the wall lattice. The upper edge of the roof is supported by two posts (bagana). The circular opening at the top of the tent is usually closed at night to protect against evil spirits and is also symbolic, representing a window to the universe from which the rays that form the roof, or vault of heaven, radiate.
The opening (toono) so formed serves to blow out the smoke, as well as to illuminate the dwelling.

The door of the yurt always faces south, providing effective shelter from cold northern winds in winter and allowing direct sunlight in spring and summer.

Because the yurt is always equally oriented in space, in ancient times for the Mongolian nomad it also served as a clock and calendar. Time was determined by the position of the sunbeam entering the yurt through the chimney. This is evidenced by traditional Mongolian expressions to refer to time, such as "when the sun touches the bed."

Finally, the yurt has a deep symbolic meaning for the nomadic peoples of the steppes, and even entering it is preceded by a traditional ritual. Guests must enter with their right foot, avoiding stepping on the threshold, and once inside, they must sit down immediately, avoiding passing between the two central pillars, which represent the meeting point between heaven and earth.