MONGOLIAN CULTURE

Mongolia in a place in central Asia, it is a land locked county. The region is very cold, the Gobi Desert is located in Mongolia. Mongolia has a huge history in war, they had the fastest growing empire in the dark ages. They were proving the least effective war strategies the best.

Language:

Almost everyone in Mongolia speaks Mongolian (also known as Khalkha.) Khalkha is written downwards like Japanese. And when in script contains rather complicated symbols. Scripture has been dated back to the early 13^th century. The language has 3 official dialects which two are spoken in parts of Russia and minor regions of China. Mongolian people are putting in programs to help save their language.

Clothing:

“Deel” is a traditional item of clothing commonly worn by the Mongolians centuries ago. Deel is still worn by men and women outside of major towns. Nowadays Deel is mostly worn by older people and during festivals. Deel can be made from cotton, wool, silk or brocade.

Food:

Mongolian food often consists of a lot of meat, dairy products and animal fats. The most common meat eaten there is mutton. Fish is an extremely uncommon meat as it is a landlocked country and has a small fishing history. Nomads often take their livestock from place to place with them. They eventually have to kill their animals for the meat. As they are constantly moving around it is difficult to take plant material with them. The people can often be seen eating platefuls of meat. Winters can go to -40° which means they need a good amount of energy to keep them healthy.

Religion:

Currently 53% of the population is Buddhist and up to 36% don’t believe in any religion. Some time ago Mongolians were Mongolian Shamanist, who worshiped the blue sky. Also, all Mongolians keep a reverence towards Genghis Khan, shrines have been built that keep the relics of Genghis.

Art:

Before the 20^th century Mongolian fine arts were only used in festivals. Thangkas are painted using applique technique. Although traditional paintings often have a nationalist theme. Sculptures can be seen around Mongolia all using different techniques.

By:

Dhruv Sajnani