WEAT -Workshop for ethno-Architecture Techniques

Our Team was asked to hold a demonstration on traditional techniques in accordance with the Exhibition "Genghis Khan and his Heirs" at castle Schallaburg, Austria, end of Mai 2006. During the 2 day festival "Landesgartenschau Niederösterreich" which also took place at the same place, we presented aspects of nomadic mongol life, arts and crafts of nomadic people to the visitors, with a special focus on children.

As the project was run with the help of some undergraduate architecture students from the Technical Unversity of Vienna, we would like to express special thanks to them, as they put much effort and energy in helping to prepare the project. During the two days of practical work they took great part in handling the visitors, showing them arts and crafts of the mongol nomads.

Part of the project was the construction of the wooden parts of a mongol yurt (the traditional home of the mongol family, a mobile, tent-like construction with a wooden skeleton and a covering of felt).
Learn more about the construction process under:

HOW TO MAKE A YURT

See below some pictures of our activities during the 2 day festival (click on the pictures to enlarge them):

Castle Schallaburg during the 2 day festival.	Several original yurts were on display. Some could be even entered.	The castle´s garden.
Kristina giving an interview about mongolian yurts and lifestyle.	Carving - even the little ones tried their skills.	Irmi is preparing for painting mongolian symbols with children (we used egg-yolk based tempera, with differently coloured pigments)
Artists at work - this young man obviously prefers modern painting style instead of the "classical" one. :-)	These are some more "traditionally inspired" works of art.	Felt making - run mainly by Raphaela, and one of the real favourites of children of every age (from 5 to 55 and older, according to rough estimates...)
Kinga, expert in card-weaving, teaches everybody the art of belt- and bangle-making.	A nice example of a finished belt.	Ropemaking. Here real team-work is needed, as at least 4 people work on one rope.
They have to twist each part, and then, finally...	the strands start to twist...	and the new rope is ready.
Martin while burning signs into pieces of wood. There was always big demand for these "amulets".	Did You ever make fire with flint, iron and tinder? No?!? Its really time to try it. :-)	Fire-making irons and flints on display.
István, a professional felt-maker from Kecskemét, Hungary, taught us how to make hats and clothing from wool.	István while working. Below a hat he brought from one of his travels to Kirgizia.	Well, sometimes even a pacifist goes wild - shooting with the mongolian bow. :-)
Martin while training to become a real mongol.	A ram´s skull with our dinner in front (still life).	Our yurt.
Packing the black-tent.	Do you believe, that all our stuff fits into this yellow van? - first we didn´t believe it ourselves.... :-)	UP