INFOBYTES

The nomad's way of life required a home that was light, portable, and easy to assemble; this led to the development of the yurt. The yurt consisted of three parts: the walls (hana) made of cross-hatched willow branches, the ceiling (wuni) also of willow and the central roof cap (taonao) made of felt. The walls were also covered with felt.

Fully collapsible yurts go back to the Northern Wei dynasty (A.D. 386-534).

A Mongol warrior's primary weapon was his compound bow. Constructed of yak horn, sinew and bamboo, it was strung against the curve, giving it great range (up to 200 yards).

Mongol warriors wore densely-woven silk undershirts, so that when an arrow pierced the material, it could be twisted out. Silk helped plug the wound and not tear the flesh. Warriors also wore leather armour. This light-weight "uniform" allowed freedom of movement.

Genghis Khan's legacy includes the establishment in 1229 of an efficient horse and rider communication system - the Yam - an adaptation of the Chinese postal relay system.

The Mongolian Empire stretched from Hungary to Korea. It included most of Asia and extensive parts of eastern Europe. It was the second largest land Empire in human history.

The shrine of Genghis Khan, erected on the supposed spot where he dropped his horsewhip, is maintained and protected by men who claim direct descent.