The Heart of Kyrgyzstan in Kyrchyn Gorge
Gathering of Nomads
The World Nomad Games is so much more than a traditional form of the Olympics. It is a time where Central Asian culture is revived and showcased, not only for international tourists but also to remind locals of their nomadic roots.
The World Nomad Games was first held in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan and has since grown from having only 14 participating nations in 2014 up to 80 in 2018. The events are all traditional Central Asian sports but are open for all nations to compete in.
The athletic portion of the games requires participants to compete in the that their ancestors would have centuries ago. From the equipment all having to be made from natural materials to the participants themselves wearing the traditional dress of their country, the World Nomad Games is what a proper Olympics would have been like over three hundred years ago.
You can read about the World Nomad Game’s most famous sport: Kok-Boru here!
Stepping Back in Time
The athletic competitions are just a small part of what goes on at the World Nomad Games. Along with the traditional culture which comes to life on the field, white yurts are sprinkled on Kyrchyn Valley. The rolling green hills and steep mountain cliffs along with the round white domes of the nomads sturs up images of the romantic nomad wandering the frigid snowy peaks and vast steppes of Central Asia.
During the World Nomad Games, this village in the Kyrchyn Gorge is the heart and soul of Kyrgyzstan. Without the yurt camp, the whole event would lose what makes it special: the illusion of being transported into the age of Genghis Khan.
Kyrchyn Village is divided into 9 large jailoos, one for each of the 7 regions and 2 independent cities. A jailoo simply is a summer highland pasture where nomads would bring their livestock to graze. The “jailoos” of Kyrchyn Village simply is a collection of yurts that showcase their respective regions clothing, music, dance, and food.
You can read more about Kyrchyn Village here!
The Culture of the Jailoo
When stepping through the gates of each camp within the larger village of Kyrchyn, travelers will be treated to so much more than just a showcase of traditional Kyrgyz culture, you will be witnessing rural nomadic life be revived in such a way that it never has been before.
Outside of the timeframe of the World Nomad Games, in many places in Kyrgyzstan life is very much how it was hundreds of years ago. While most people are not riding heroicly over mountains in bear fur, sword in hand, it would be inaccurate to say that Kyrchyn Village is just “for show”.
At the same time, it would also be misleading to say that what tourists experience in the yurt camps is what they would see on any jailoo around Kyrgyzstan.
You can read about traditional Kyrgyz clothing here!
The World Nomad Games is a time where families brush the dust off of their traditional clothing from their wardrobes and get back in touch with their heritage. The culture which you will is very much relevant today but seldom able to have as much freedom as to spread throughout a whole valley like a wildfire. The white cloud-like yurts are brimming with the vibrant colors of tradition which is rooted deep into the hears of the Kyrgyz people.
Traditional Games and Open Rehearsals
In each of the yurt camps, you will see people going about their business as if this was a typical day for them. The residents of the yurts can be found outside chopping wood, stirring piping hot bowls of stew, knitting, singing, and playing games.
For a lot of people in Kyrgyzstan, what they are doing in Kyrchyn Village is not that much different from what their life is outside of the World Nomad Games. The only difference, perhaps, is that they would not be wearing their “Sunday best” without cause, and the yurts would be looking more battered from years of sheltering families from the elements.
Large groups of singers and dancers rehearse throughout the day in the center of each camp. The performances range from the purely authentic to more modern renditions of traditional music. What is more enthralling than the extravagant concerts and grueling rehearsals is the more candid side of the village.
Grandfathers strumming a komuz (three-stringed guitar) or just children playing shagai (a game like marbles played with sheep bones) in front of their family’s yurt offers a more relaxed and natural look at Kyrgyz culture. If you show an interest in the impromptu concerts, the hosts will likely invite you to join them on the carpet to partake in drinking tea and singing along as best you can to their songs.
You can read more about traditional Kyrgyz music here!
Young Nomads
Kyrgyz children take an active role in making this romanticized glimpse of nomadic life a reality. These kids can keep up with the adults and even best them when it comes to music as well as showing off their athletic prowess. From singing to horseback riding, the children of nomads have already gained bountiful experience well beyond their years.
The children, unhindered with the stress of rural life or corruption of the modern age, reflect the purity of traditional culture as they embrace their roots with such innocence. As complicated a history as most post-Soviet nations have, the hope that their traditions will not only be revived but to flourish rests on the shoulders of their youth.
The Kyrgyz children playing among the yurts show unbridled enthusiasm and excitement in an environment that will have an impact on their lives more than they could ever know.
International Yurt Camp
Much like the Olympics, the World Nomad Games is a time where nations from around the world can come together in the name of sportsmanship, but to share and showcase their own traditional culture. This is where the Nomad Games stand apart from the otherwise bland Olympic games. Each country has the opportunity to hold exhibitions highlighting their own country’s traditional sports while donning their national dress.
The World Nomad Games have grown substantially, from only a handful of countries participating in the first games in 2014 to over 80 in 2018. In the international jailoo, Americans can be found playing coutry music, Emiratis inviting both domestic and international tourists into their tent for tea, and even Scots performing highland games for excited crowds.
You can read more about Americans participating in the World Nomad Games here!
Out of all the international performances held in Kyrchyn Village, the Hungarians captivated the majority of spectators. In full medieval garb, sword and shield in hand, these knights of old awoke the entirety of the village with the sound of metal breaking against armor. Despite the rather brutal nature of the sport, Historical European Martial Arts’s athletes have a strong mutual respect for each other. After bashing each other’s heads in for a few minutes, the two soldiers will finally embrace with a clang. A true sign of both restraint and sportsmanship.
Other than the skirmishes amongst the Hungarians, there were Turkish acrobatics and Russian horsemen which continually amazed spectators for the 7 days of the World Nomad Games.
You can read more about Historical European Martial Arts here!
The Future of Kyrchyn Village
The cultural performances in Kyrchyn Village are just as much for the local Kyrgyz people as they are for international tourists. The World Nomad Games is a time where people can have a vacation living the romantic nomad life which is often played out in local storybooks and television. As important as the games and yurt camp is to the Kyrgyz people, the World Nomad Games have been sold to Turkey and will be the location of the 2020 games.
A lot of questions and doubts are raised when looking at the next host for the games. What is the World Nomad Games without the crowd favorite Central Asian sport of Kok Boru? How could Turkey possibly imitate the soul of the games which was created by the idyllic scene of white yurts on an emerald green background? Only time can tell, while the next two games for 2020 and 2022 are set to be held outside of Kyrgyzstan, there are rumors that the yurts will once again be the pride of the country in 2024 when the games make a gallant return back home.
