A traditional yurt (from the Turkic languages) is a portable, round tent covered with skins or felt and used as a dwelling by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. Yurts have been a distinctive feature of life in Central Asia for at least three thousand years. The first written description of a yurt used as a dwelling was recorded by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus.

During the summer shepherds/farmers build yurts near the road or in the mountains. The road is all year long full of travelers, which presents a chance to make some money, by selling basic goods: food, milk, or other local products like carpets, blankets, etc.

Traditional yurts consist of an expanding wooden circular frame carrying a felt cover. The felt is made from the wool of the flocks of sheep. The timber to make the external structure is not to be found on the treeless steppes, and must be obtained by trade in the valleys below.