As autumn arrives in Uzbekistan, one ethnic Kazakh family in the Zarafshan region is preparing to leave their summer home -- a richly decorated yurt set up next to their house. The breezy mobile shelter is a common choice to help residents escape the heat of summer. It's also a way for families to preserve the traditions of past generations who once carried their yurts with them to summer pastures. RFE/RL photographer Umida Akhmedova visited the village of Rahat earlier this year as a Kazakh family gathered to help set up their seasonal residence.
Inside An Ornate Kazakh Yurt In Uzbekistan
1
Astara Yusupova (right) and a relative help to decorate a yurt outside their home. Every year, family members work together to set up the yurt where they live during the summer.
2
Astara's eldest son, Dulat, one of nine children, helps to decorate the inside of the yurt.
3
Astara hangs woven fabric to decorate the interior. Past generations used to carry yurts with them to mountain pastures where they would spend the summer tending to herds of livestock.
4
Astara's son Erhan hangs the "chandelier," a woven decoration hanging below a skylight.