The center ring (shangrak) is the most crucial part of the yurt's structure. All other parts of the yurt can be easily replaced, but the shangrak is passed down from a father to his children. The shangrak is a symbol of the family's well-being. Because smoke passes up through the opening in the center of the yurt it eventually accumulates soot. The more soot the better since it signals that many fires have been kept in the home. Many Central Asian countries, including Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have a shangrak either on their flag or their coat of arms. Here my daughter Kalila is teething on a shangrak dome made of willows.
