KAZAKH EAGLE COMPETITION

A true art rooted in the history of Mongolians,eagles have theirs own festivals in the heart of autumn. Two days of competitions and meetings where the eagles will compete to determine who is the best of them, bringing glory to its owner.

Eagle Festival: there are approx. 400 eagle hunters in Bayan-Olgii aimag. The eagle hunters from around regions gather to test their finely trained birds in singular contests of speed and agility in few days of competiton. During the festival you also see some Kazakh Traditional Horse Games like “Bush Kushi" (Try to take the goat skin from each other on horseback), "Kiss woman on horseback", "Pick up coins from the land on horseback" and others. Possibility to assist to the Kazakh Concert with some traditional songs and music.

Hunting with eagle: In Bayan-Olgii province it is still practiced eagle hunting especially in winter time. This is the art and sport that involves a great deal of time and use of techniques that passed generation to generations. Hunters will get trained from childhood and it takes many years to be a good hunter.

Eagle Festival in UB annually early March eagles and Kazakh come for one day competition; possible to continue with Ice festival in Khosgol lake.

The tradition of golden eagle hunting has been practiced by Central Asian nomads, Kazakhs and Kyrgyz, for thousands of years. In 2008, this unique tradition of capturing, training and hunting was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Join a family of Kazakh eagle hunters and learn from them the secrets of training and hunting with golden eagles and maybe hunt with them in the High Altai Mountains.

Best month for eagle festival: early october, for hunting: November to March

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