Living in a Kyrgyz Yurt on the Greek Mountains

Back in 2007, I had the desire to take a Kyrgyz yurt home with me and build it in my garden in Germany. However, it took another 14 years before I actually started this project. Now, no longer in Germany, but in a place in the Greek mountains, where I wanted to build my "retirement retreat" in the form of an eco-village and an organic farm.

I assumed that the yurt would withstand the conditions in the Greek mountains, as it is much colder in Kyrgyzstan. So I ordered five yurts and wanted to start a small tourism project at the same time to secure my pension. The order was placed with a yurt builder on Lake Issyk-Kul. I deliberately avoided the traditional red color because it seemed too bright to me and contained too many chemical components. Instead, I chose a light glaze.

Transporting the yurts from Lake Issyk-Kul to Petrokerasa was an adventure and costly, but they finally arrived there. Since it is very humid here in winter and I planned to leave the yurts standing all year round, I had concrete foundations poured so that they could be set up safely, stably and for the long term.

The yurts have a diameter of about 6 meters. The foundations were poured with dimensions of 9 x 7 meters and a thickness of less than 10 cm, otherwise a building permit would have been required. The larger foundations also offered space for a bathroom and a lounge area. In addition, a 9 x 9 meter garden was planned for each yurt, which would serve as a private oasis of peace for both me and the guests.

With great enthusiasm and little experience, we laboriously built the yurts in the summer of 2022. They looked fantastic and the plan was to move into the yurts in September 2022 - initially without a bathroom. We were finished in mid-August, but when I returned from Germany a week later, where I had bought furniture and household goods, I found all the yurts collapsed and badly damaged.

A heavy rain had reached such proportions that the water was flowing through the yurts in streams. The tarpaulins had become so saturated with water that they became too heavy for the wooden structures, causing everything to collapse. In addition, the chosen glaze turned out to be completely unsuitable for the humid climate. The wood underneath turned black.

It took a year to sand down every wooden part of each yurt and then seal it with a high-quality, environmentally friendly glaze. Any necessary repairs to the wooden parts were also carried out during this period. Each yurt was given an individual color scheme: pine, dark walnut, chestnut, mahogany and walnut. Each yurt was also given a name inspired by characters in Chingiz Aitmatov's novels: Djamila, Danjar, Ilias and Asselj. My own yurt was named after Kanekej, the wife of the legendary hero Manas.

During the year of repairs, natural stones were laid on the foundations. In addition, a 10 cm high stone ring was built on the foundation on which the yurt now stands. The floor was insulated and covered with wood, on which the Kyrgyz felt carpet was then laid. Unfortunately, some decorative elements have suffered from the water from the heavy rain, but they now have a certain patina that gives them a special charm.

By the end of 2023, the yurts had been rebuilt, this time with bathroom structures. To make them winter-proof, they were fitted with a highly praised, but rather expensive pool cover that promised a three-year warranty. Unfortunately, this did not withstand the conditions of the Greek weather and tore like paper after just three months. The warranty was refused - on the grounds that the covers were not intended for use outside a pool. Two of the yurts were subsequently slightly flooded again.

A cover made of agricultural film was finally used as a replacement. Although this was inexpensive and less visually appealing, it held up reliably. Overall, the yurts survived the winter well.

Towards the end of the winter, however, one yurt was completely lifted by a storm, causing the roof to collapse. Fortunately, the damage was only minor.

The yurt gardens were created at the beginning of 2024. Initially as organic gardens, but a redesign is planned for 2025. In addition, smaller trenches were dug and filled with gravel to create drainage. The bathrooms were then gradually installed and the yurts have been inhabited since April 2024.

During 2024, the roof structure was additionally secured and reinforced so that the roof structure, which is usually put together in Kyrgyzstan, can no longer shift in the Greek storms. From April to the end of November, I slept in my yurt myself - I have never slept so well.

Since July 2024, the yurts have had solar power and since May also hot water powered by solar thermal energy - this worked perfectly until mid-November. The stone rings proved very effective in the heavy rain in November. The drainage still needs to be deepened and provided with a drain. A device was also installed on the side walls so that rainwater only flows outwards (otherwise it would have flowed into the yurt in heavy rain).

A summer cover made of a breathable "Goretex"-like material, which is more visually appealing, is planned for 2024.

The toilets, kitchen and common area are currently being completed, as is the sauna. From May 2025, four of the yurts will be rented out to eco-tourists as oases of peace. The experience gained from the three years of yurt construction will be used for new projects. In principle, the yurts can now be used all year round. A nano-carbon heater could still be installed, but showering in the open-air pool is reserved for only the hardiest yurt residents.