The Sailaukhan Family - The Kazakhs in Wild Mountains

Kazakhs are the largest ethnic minority in Mongolia with approximately 100,000 living in the provinces of western Mongolia. During the period of the Soviet Union, Kazakh’s nomadic herding and the traditional way of life were completely suppressed. Nowadays, only few Kazakhs still preserve their culture identities, such as the Sailaukhan family who remain isolated in the wild and rugged mountains. Herding and hunting form the major part of their income. Living in the extreme isolation means everyone in the family including kids must work together in daily life. Without being disturbed much by the modern world, all the family members are proud of maintaining their unique culture and way of life. The traditional hunting using golden eagles is one of their cultural identities, which is passed from generation to generation.

Back to the 12th Century

During the festival of Easter, Orthodox priests and pilgrims wear traditional white clothes and carry lit candles in the church to celebrate the Easter Eve. This tradition has been practiced by Ethiopians for hundreds of years and still continues to be carried out to this day. The churches in Lalibela were carved out of the mountain rock on all four sides. Today, these churches still remain to be a religious center, as sacred to the people of Ethiopia as hundreds of years ago when they were carved.