Zodiac Mosaic Mural

Ulaanbaatar, 2007

The entire wall of a building in the capital of Mongolia was covered with this mosaic mural with the Chinese zodiac. From the close-ups you can see it was made in squares and somehow attached to the wall.

Below I recognize the yin-yang symbol of complementary opposites in the center. There are other symbols on the mural I'd like to learn more about.

Have not been able to find out any details about this mural.

Since last week was my birthday as well as the birthday of the City of Oakland, CA, home to our kind host for this meme, I thought it a fitting contribution to Monday Mural.  

Andy, this one is for you. Wish I could've given you a piece. :-)

A Cemetery in Mongolia

Traditionally, Mongolians did not bury their dead. Rather, the body of the departed soul was “cast out” in an open air burial after a ceremony led by a Buddhist lama - or more lamas, depending on the social status of the departed. It’s an intricate process that ends in the corpse being left in the clan’s sacred burial place to be devoured by predatory animals and is well described in a paper here.

After the 1921 Revolution that turned Mongolia into a Communist nation, open air burials were strongly discouraged and European-style burials were gradually adopted.

These are photos of a cemetery on a hill we saw about an hour’s drive outside the capital Ulaanbaatar.  The images will have to tell you the story, as I have no further information about it.

I marvel at the many styles, shapes and materials used. As you can see, a few markers were enclosed in a fence; most were not.

Mongolia, 2007

To the front of the burial grounds is an expansive vista of a small town in the valley and the mountains beyond.

Joining the Taphophile Tragics community.

Z is for Zither

A zither is any stringed musical instrument whose strings are the same length as its soundboard. There are many styles of zithers. Typically it is composed of a flat sound box with 30 to 40 strings stretched over it and played horizontally with the fingertips, a plectrum, or a bow.

The yatga is a traditional Mongolian plucked half-tube zither and can have 10-21 strings with movable bridges. When I was in Ulaanbaatar, I heard this woman play a 12-string yatga.

Ulaanbaatar, 2007

If you'd like to hear the sound, here is a 23-second video taken in the same small theatre you see in my photo. This tune sounds to me like a pleasant traditional folk song. For a more sophisticated sound, listen to this award-winning player on what looks to be a 21-string yatga.

This is my Z contribution to ABC Wednesday. Check out how others fared with this challenging letter.

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To my regular blogger friends, tomorrow I will slip behind the Great Firewall of China, so I may be unable to post or visit any blogs for the next 10-12 days. See you when I return!

E is for Entertainment

To be honest with you, I'm usually a titch cynical about "cultural" shows put on for tourists. But we were in Ulaanbaatar on a special mission and we could not say "no" to our hosts when they suggested we go. A nudge is sometimes a blessing. 

The show of traditional Mongolian musicians, singers, dancers and acrobats in a small intimate theater turned out to be one of the delightful highlights of our stay in the capital.

 

 

 Ulaanbaatar, 2007

If you'd really like to be entertained here today, I gladly nudge you to visit this video (after you say hello to me) and learn a little about the music made with the two-stringed marin whoor (horse-headed violin) that often accompanies khoomii, Mongolian throat singing. It's a treat to the receptive ear.

I'm linking with Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday. Go check out other fun takes on the letter E this week.

Dressing Up

Every year in July the good people of Mongolia enjoy their biggest national event, the Naadam Festival of Manly Sports: wrestling, horse racing and archery. Whether they come to compete or to cheer, most come decked out in their traditional attire. I captured this woman checking herself out in a possible new jacket in the main market of Ulaanbaatar where days before the event the crowds in the clothing section were elbow-to-elbow.

Mongolia, 2007

This is posted for Weekend Reflections hosted by James where you can find links to many more takes on this fun theme. 

PS. I'll be posting more about this most wonderful festival in the months to come. Should you be curious, be sure to come back.  
[Or, you can sign up to get my posts by email or just "follow" me on Google Friend Connect; both you'll find on the right bar.]

What Time Do You Want to Meet?

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 2007

This business-monk captured in the Gandantegchinlen Monastery ("Great Place of Complete Joy") built in 1835 in the capital of Mongolia is posted for Mary's Ruby Tuesday. You'll find many more links to images of RED if you click on the link.