This year the guest country is Mongolia.

In August 2017, Mongolia will be the guest of honor of the Festival of folk arts. The country which is 17 times bigger than hungary is populated by 3,2 million people though nowadays the majority of the population live in the cities, they are all proud of their nomadic traditions and cultures.

Though over the last decade, the spectacular development of the Mongolian economy has been due primarily to investments in the extraction of raw materials and mineral resources, it is becoming increasingly decisive for the government’s objective to develop sustainable progression, the developmentof the organic farming and a multi-faceted economic model in which traditional nomadic living plays a key role.

The lifestyle of the people living in the country, still nomadic, has not changed much in the centuries. Nowadays, they carry on the nomad farming as well as their predecessors during the Great Mongol Empire or as the inhabitants of the former great nomadic empires. Nomadic people were self-sufficient in many aspects, often used their own devices and accommodation, this was the key of their mobility and ability to adapt.

However, there were crafts – such as blacksmiths – which were highly respected. Keeping these traditions, in the modernizing and globalizing Mongolia, is particularly important.

The nomadic tradition and culture is one of the pivots of the national identity of the Mongolians, so of course, they are increasingly paying attention to the preservation of this tradition. The Mongolian Cultural Tradition Center has been operating with government support since 1988 whose main task is the union of traditional nomadic craftsmen since the 1990s.


This year, craftsmen visit us in Hungary who are working on these crafts at a high level, whether they are felting, sewing or even cultivating metal. Mongolian bowmen are also visiting us, who are still using traditional methods during the process of bow-making, which weapon is considered to be a symbol of nomadic warfare.

Today’s use of them is far more peaceful, the customers of the bows are the archers of the Nádomon the national holiday of mongolia, and fewer people who want to own a traditional Mongolian bow.

The technology of Mongolian bow making has not changed much over the centuries, but the shape of these weapons and the materials used differ from each other.

During the Festival we can observe uranah, bursa and Mongolian bows. Their creators present the technology, the phases of the bow making, the materials used. Textile artists present the traditional Mongolian wear, the motifs that rooted back to previous centuries.

They will introduce us to the Mongolian embroidery, but also to special features such as dzószon siré, a “coin table” that is a special “spinning technique”. Then these threads are used as decorations for dresses, garlands, tubular pot holders?…

The blacksmith’s art was always highly respected among the nomads, their craftsmen were privileged, often attributed to him some kind of sacral role, thus they represent the traditional nomadic crafts the most. The tradition of Mongolian culture is also reflected in the work of the blacksmiths and goldsmiths.

The jams, drinking cups adorned with silver nuts, the nomadic shepherd skills are perhaps the most representative pieces of the Mongolian craftsmanship.

Opening hours: 10.00 AM – 11.00 PM

The market will be open for public from 10.00 AM to 9.00 PM, and you can enjoy the programme of the stages and gastronomy until 11.00 PM

Daily tickets:

Full price: 2500 HUF

Reduced price (youths aged 4-14 and retired): 1000 HUFReduced price with Sziget Festival 2017 week pass: 1000 HUF

Family ticket:

2 adults accompanying 2 youths aged under 14: 6000 HUF
2 adults accompanying 3 youths aged under 14: 6800 HUF
2 adults accompanying 4 youths aged under 14: 7600 HUF

Tickets valid for 4 days:

Full price: 6500 HUF
Reduced price (youths aged 4-14 and retired): 2500 HUF
Free admission for children under the age of 4

The tickets are also valid to the exhibitions of the Budapest History Museum – Castle Museum.

Source: Festival of Folk Arts