A little out of place, a yurt in the Israeli desert offers a neat eco-treat.
Feeling jaded from all the holidays in this country, we decided to retreat to the desert for Shabbat (the Jewish day of rest). And this was no ordinary retreat: arriving into Moshav Dekel, in the Eshkol region of the Negev (bordering on the Gaza Strip), our spirits lift when we see our destination: 36 Figs – A Kazakh Yurt Desert Experience. Following on from previous Green Prophet posts about other yurt destinations in Israel, as a sometime ger/yurt builder myself, having spent time living in them with nomads in Mongolia, I have long wanted to get out and see what’s here – who are the yurt fanatics in Israel, what materials do they use and where are they based.
Boris Moldavski and his wife Rivka are immigrants from Russia, who arrived here many years ago and first lived in Nazareth Illit. Being an engineer, Boris moved around the country a lot, until he and other Russians were offered land down in Sinai. On barren desert soil they created the community of Yamit – until it was evacuated in 1979 after the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt.
Six-hundred families, including Boris and Rivka moved, and many of them came to the Eshkol region, founding 6 new agricultural communities, including Moshav’s Dekel and Avshalom, within an area collectively known as Hevel Shalom.
Boris discovered a new passion: his agricultural expertise took him further – to Kazakhstan, where he stayed for 8 years, advising agricultural projects and eventually becoming Israel’s cultural attache to the Kazakh’s. He fell in love with the Kazakh culture, and decided to import traditional Kazakh yurts to his home on Moshav Dekel.
His original plan was to set up a camel farm: “I had sheep, and I loved that job, as every sheep had human qualities,” but after 3 years of trying to work with the local bureaucracy, that plan was shelved. “Camel milk has proven health benefits – against diabetes (Boris was diagnosed with diabetes in Kazakhstan, but daily swigs of camel milk defeated the disease), and even autism,” Boris told us, wistfully.
His eco-tourism venture, ’36 Figs,” comprises of 6 original Kazakh yurts, dotted around a stunning and tranquil organic plant garden and fruit grove, all planted and tended by Boris and his family.
Our first meeting with him was when he popped out from behind a tree as we settled in to our yurt bearing freshly picked fruit – he doesn’t know its name, but its a kind of exotic cherry, tasting of caramel and coffee. Other fruits he showed us, and that we sampled, over 24 hours, include guava, passion fruit, mango (both made into jams and liquers on the premises) lemons, mandarin oranges, pomegranates, lychees, green carobs, and what I think is a cacoa pod, or a chocolate fruit!
The yurts are huge, warm, and very restful spaces. He chose Kazakh bridal yurts, which are bigger than normal, and come decorated with original Kazakh embroideries, full of spiritual, religious and sensual significance.
It is very restful to gaze up at the steam-bent wooden yurt poles, fitting into the circular roof crown. Boris proudly said that they were constructed “without a single nail.”
My passion for gers and yurts comes from the knowldege that they are made from entirely natural materials (ok, canvas isn’t, but hey), and are so beautifully portable, yet strong. There is something soothing about being in a circular space, with a wooden floor, and the infinite possibilities of desert space and sky stretching out from the doorway.
Oh, and for all creature comfort loving Israelis, all Boris’s yurts have jacuzzis and toilets. Two of them are especially outfitted for disabled guests, and the garden is partly designed to be a sensory environment, to enable all guests to enjoy it in many ways, both tactile and through smell.
Boris is a green-fingered man, and is very willing to share this knowledge with everyone. Discussing this, he told me that “all his 4 children worked [with him] on the land, giving them a strong work ethic, and good character.” He firmly believes that a lot of socities ills come from our general disconnect with the land and soil.
36 Figs is a wonderful rural idyll: a place to rest, relax, eat exotic fruit and recharge the batteries. Boris and Rivka are generous and warm hosts. It is also a perfect place for group retreats, yoga workshops, and perhaps the first Green Prophet retreat? Go and experience the green life of a night in a desert yurt!
’36 Figs’ website is here ::36 Figs
Author: James Murray-White
Growing up in a green village outside Cambridge, UK gave me an eye into the natural world, and years later, after being an actor, dramatist, weary traveller and anthropologist, the environment fires me up the most – and the need to save and nurture it… while we live within it. I now live in the UK, with partner Tania and 2 pesky cats – writing and filming the world (slowly making a documentary about the Bedouin situation) take up my creative time. I do this while growing things organically and composting profusely take up the remainder. James can be reached at james (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
THE KAZAKH HIGH LAND (STEPPE) – NOMADS YURT BIRTHPLACE OF THE WORLD
Author idea by professor Muhamedrahim Kursabaev, Kazakhstan, Astana
Ancient nomads of the Great Eurasian Steppe said: “Heaven – Creator” and “Earth Mother.”And so, people believed that the very first cover and the savior of life on earth was Earth.
In the context of globalization ( social and economic crisis ) and the introduction of large-scale industrial and innovative technologies in the world dramatically increased positive continental integration between states. In the process of global integration and mass formation occur (modernization ) and merge the new company and a consortium , social and economic interests that are related to biodiversity environmental , historical and cultural values of the society . On the background of huge economic and achieve positive results in Kazakhstan and in the world, mankind has often faced with many environmental problems and technological factors that determines the combined efforts for a comprehensive solution to these problems on a global scale . To solve these problems, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev made a number of specific progressive ideas that are implemented on a global scale . One of those issues are history, culture and “green technology”
The main objectives :
– based on scientific input and empirical folk (non-traditional) knowledge about the environment to develop a model yurts of nomads (Yurtorda & Yurtoshaq) world as ethno-cultural phenomenon , tourist and archaeological recreational building and effective tool saving technology in the world tourism industry;
– design a modern system of tourist product on the basis of classical architectural design yurts of nomads world (kazakh, mongol, kyrgyz, yakyt, iran, turkmen, tatar, karakalpak, escimos, indigenous, kalmyk) and other nomads of the world;
Main tasks:
– Accommodation ( classic design , construction, reconstruction ) tipi (district) in the World Exhibition ” EXPO 2017 Astana Kazakhstan», in major cities “Ethno-Aul” and tourist centers , promoting the idea of «Global yurt tourism» in the world;
– The creation of a museum of history yurts of nomads world «The Museum yurt of nomad’s in the world» ( draft attached) to hold an international symposium “Kazakh High land (Steppe) nomads yurt birthplace of the world” ;
– Issue of electronic and scientific teaching aids for students and skhoolchildrens «Yurtorda & Yurtoshaq»;
One of the most effective models of historical and cultural values and biodiversity and natural landscape as well as forming in the minds of the younger generation of environmental culture is the development and promotion (placement in the major cities and tourist centers) yurts of nomads of the world as an effective tool preservation and revival of ethnic values and energy-saving technology as a standard ” Green technology ” in the world . Opening Botai culture scientists of the world (Botai culture in Kazakhstan) about the early domestication of horses and the development of technology ” kumys ” directly associated with early housing designs yurt botay-settlement «Yurt-oshaq».
For many centuries, “yurt -nomad’s yurt and yurtorda» constantly improving become a unique value of spiritual and material culture ancientkazah and steppe peoples ( Aryans , Huns , Saka- Scythian and ancient Turkic tribes ) . Outlook and philosophical and historical yurt cognitological concept became the object of research by many scientists in the world , where the main component is the mathematical modeling of structures, which are made with environmentally friendly materials (wood, biological waste animals , wool , bone, shrub , skin) . Today’s world is the object of tourist yurt business.
In Alaska (USA), in England, Australia and many countries have developed business plans to promote tourism yurt as an effective tool of historical and cultural values and energy-saving technology .
Kazakhstan as the birthplace of yurts of nomads world should become the leader of this project. Yurt as unique design is inextricably linked with associative integral components : national cuisine ethnomusical instruments , national costumes and ornaments , jewelry and applied arts , dining and armor, traditions and customs and folklore and are followed in the course of this project. Consider appropriate promotion of the project in the society using centuries old experience and ethnic and cultural heritage of nomadic ethnic groups around the world (Kazakhs , Kyrgyz, Mongols , Uzbeks , Kalmyks, Turkmen, Afghan , American Indian , African tribes , Eskimos , etc.) and as an effective solution to the problem ” greening of society “in order to make to implement a global program of” green technology. “
click on the link to the website Sheryl – at the bottom of the post…. enjoy your trip!
I am going to Israel this June (“09) how do you make a reservation at 36 Figs? thanks!