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 Central Asia |
| Livia Monami is an Italian professional journalist and photographer. Since 1989 she has been interested in nomadic populations and ethnic minorities the world over. She explores the least inhabited places on earth and meets what she defines as "the priceless treasures of humanity", rich cultures in imminent danger of extinction.
Her artistic and social aim is to break through the invisible barriers that stand between her world and theirs. In so doing, she draws from them a kind of regenerating harmony and strength. This photo essay is a glimpse of the many months she spent with the Mongolian nomads of the steppes of Central Asia, sharing their traditions, habits and ways of thinking. |
Hovd aimag (province) in western Mongolia is a rugged land of contrasts far removed from more populous parts of central Mongolia. It is the home of many indigenous groups.
Sunlit landscape in the extreme west of the province. Snow-covered mountains in the background. Three ghers in the foreground with camels and stone walls. |
Hovd, extreme west. Mongol family. Up to the age of three to five, the child is the family pet. The Mongols believe that during this period the good or evil spirits are fighting to enter him, and all attention is focused in helping him choose.
To keep the bad demons away, children of this age are not called by name and are disguised: little Mongols of both sexes have long hair plaited and decorated From then on he is amember of the family with all the rights and duties this entails, naturally in relation to his age. |
| Left: Hovd, extreme west. Young Mongol in the gher putting on the traditional boots. All Mongols wind a cloth around their feet before putting on their boots, which have their tip pointing upwards as a sign of respect for the earth. Right: Hovd, extreme west. Interior. Woman cutting frozen milk conserved in animal gut. |
| Upper Left: Hovd, extreme west. A gher under construction.The construction of the typical Mongol tent, with circular plan, starts with the preparation of the dirt floor that is covered with sheep's dung. A vertical trellis is then erected over this, made up of several modules, quana, held together with strips of leather. Over this is placed the roof, conical or dome-shaped, made up of wooden struts that meet at the top in a ring with holes in it for supporting poles. The central hole through which light comes in and smoke goes out is called the toghona. It is closed at night to keep evil spirits out. The wooden frame is covered with several layers of felt, isegei, treated with animal fat and providing an excellent isolation against the cold, wind and rain. Large sheets of white cotton are draped over the whole gher right to the ground. The entrance, to the south, is closed with a wooden door painted with bright colors. The area inside the gher, ranging from 13 to 51 square metres, is divided into a sector for the women to the east, with the cooking utensils, a fireplace in the middle and the men's area to the west. The north side, opposite the entrance, is reserved for guests and is also the holy area of the house containing a little altar with a Buddha. The children sit and play near the entrance. Upper Right: Hovd, extreme west. Horseman next to a gher, the typical Mongol tent. Grey sky and the first snow of autumn. Lower Left: Hovsgol, extreme west. Men skinning sheep. Lower Right: Dornod, extreme east. Man skinning the marmots he has hunted. The meat of this animal is very tasty, but in some areas of Mongolia it is a plague carrier. Seated woman watching him and gher in the background. |
| Upper Left: Close shot of man holding a bowl. Upper Right: Hovd, extreme west. Young Mongol standing beside his horse. The horse is an indispensable element in Nomad society, and the Mongols have a deep bond with this animal. Children can ride from the age of four. A favorite horse is honored even after its death. Lower Left: Hovd, extreme west. The gher, typical Mongol round tent, in the middle of a herd of cattle. Close shot. The Mongols are semi-nomadic herdsmen who move many times a year in search of fresh pastures. Each family possesses sheep, goats, camels and horses in quantities that range from a few hundred to many thousands. To this day, the Mongols obtain everything they need for survival from their animals: milk, meat, hides, wool and cashmere. Lower Right: Hovd, extreme west. Horseman with his herd of camels. |
| Man with his camels at sunset. The Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus ferus) is one of the rarest and least studied mammals on earth: they are usually domesticated in Mongolia, but the last 300 wild camels live in the south in the Gobi Desert . |
| Top: Hovd, extreme west. Snowstorm. A man on a white horse leads a black horse. Just below them, a gher perches at the edge of snow-covered plain. Lower Left: Hovd, extreme west. Two mean breaking ice from the frozen surface of a lake. Melted on their stoves, in winter it is their main source of water for cooking and washing. Lower Right: Hovd, extreme west. Man shown wearing the del, traditional Mongol garment, walking through the snow-covered steppe leading his horse by its reins. |
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Livia Monami's expedition was sponsored by: Lufthansa, Kodak, Longoni Sport and The North Face, Body Spring, Ki, Sevi, Tenba, Air China, Compeed. Livia Monami's photographic reportages are regularly published by the most prominent magazines both in Italy and abroad. She uses Canon equipment and Fuji films in her work. This photographic essay is the first time Ms. Monami's work has been published in the United States. |
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© 2009 ROMAR TRAVEL GUIDES
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