Tunduk and Shangyrak (Yurt Crown)

The tunduk (Kyrgyz түндүк, tyndyk) and shangyrak (Kazakh шаңырақ, shangyraq) are the names for the same thing: the wooden crown ring at the top of the Central Asian yurt. All the roof poles lean against it, it lets light in and smoke out, and it closes the dome of felt that forms the roof. Because the yurt was the home of the nomadic Kyrgyz and Kazakhs for centuries, the crown has become a symbol of home and family, and today appears on the flag of Kyrgyzstan and the state emblem of Kazakhstan.

Place in the roof

The Kazakh yurt, kiyiz üy ("felt house"), has three main timber parts:

• Kerege: the folding lattice wall, set up in a circle.
• Uyk: the roof poles. In Kazakh and Kyrgyz yurts, as in other Central Asian yurts, they are bent, giving the roof a rounded profile. This differs from the Mongolian ger, whose poles are straight and whose crown is usually propped on one or more central columns (see ger roof).
• Shangyrak / tunduk: the wooden crown, into which the upper ends of the poles are fixed.

The frame is covered with felt made from the wool of the herders' own sheep and tied together with ropes and bands.

The yurt as a type is very old. The earliest written description of a yurt-like dwelling is usually traced to Herodotus' account of the tents of the Scythians, nomads of the Black Sea and Central Asian steppe.

A family heirloom

In old Kazakh communities, the yurt itself was repaired or rebuilt many times, but the shangyrak was kept and passed from father to son. The smoke stains built up on it were taken as a sign of the age and standing of the family.

National symbol

• Kyrgyzstan: the flag adopted on 3 March 1992 shows a red field with a yellow sun, at the centre of which is a tunduk seen from inside the yurt. In the redesign that took effect on 26 December 2023, the sun's 40 rays were straightened and the drawing of the tunduk's crossing bars was changed. The tunduk is said to represent the origin of life, home and the unity of time and space.
• Kazakhstan: the state emblem adopted on 4 June 1992 is built around a shangyrak against a sky-blue field, with the uyk poles shown as rays and winged horses on either side. The shangyrak stands for the well-being of the family and for peace.

Heritage recognition

In 2014 UNESCO added the traditional knowledge and skills of making Kyrgyz and Kazakh yurts to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity; in 2025 the listing was extended to include the Karakalpak yurt of Uzbekistan. Men and apprentices make the wooden frame, including the crown, while women make the felt coverings and interior decoration.