Shanyrak (Yurt Crown)
The crown of the Kazakh yurt: a circular wooden rim with radiating cross-beams (uyk) that supports the roof and lets smoke and daylight pass through the top opening. Beyond architecture, the shanyrak is the foremost Kazakh symbol of home, family continuity and the nation; it stands at the centre of Kazakhstan's state emblem, and custom passes the family shanyrak to the household heir. In yurt construction the shanyrak is the keystone: curved wooden ribs are lashed to its rim, felt and ropes are laid over the frame, and the whole dwelling can be dismantled and loaded on horses in under an hour.