Kazakh aul rises in Nevada desert, serving beshbarmak to 5,000 Burning Man guests
Kazakhstanis are showcasing their national culture at one of the world’s most unusual events, Burning Man, held in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The Tengri Camp team brought 11 Kazakh yurts to the festival and is preparing beshbarmak for thousands of participants from around the world.
This year, the camp has been transformed into a small Kazakh village, complete with a traditional kitchen serving national dishes and giving visitors a taste of Kazakh traditions and hospitality. The organisers aim to serve beshbarmak to around 5,000 people, with international guests already sampling the dish.
The 11 yurts were specially made in Kazakhstan and shipped from Almaty to the United States. Their journey covered about 11,000 kilometres, with the cargo transported by road to China, then by rail and barge to the Port of Oakland before being transported to the Reno area.
The yurts are also being used beyond the camp itself. According to blogger Sabina Omar, one will be placed near the main entrances to Burning Man, two at the airport, and two more will become art installations on the Playa.
Burning Man takes place annually in the Black Rock Desert, where participants build a temporary city known as Black Rock City, complete with camps, infrastructure, art installations and performances. The city is dismantled after the event.
The 2026 edition, themed “Axis Mundi,” focuses on connections between people, shared social realities and humanity’s relationship with nature. The event runs from August 30 to September 7.
According to official Burning Man data, thousands of people from around the world participate in the event, and Tengri Camp is included on the official list of camps. In its description of the camp, the organisers also note that communal meals are held there on Wednesdays and Fridays as a gesture of hospitality and cultural exchange.
This is Tengri Camp’s second appearance at Burning Man. Last year, the team brought one Kazakh yurt to the desert; this year, the project has expanded to 11, transforming the camp into a small Kazakh village that combines traditional architecture, cuisine and Kazakh hospitality.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that ahead of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s official visit to Belgium, a traditional Kazakh yurt had been set up on the grounds of the Kazakh diplomatic mission in Brussels.
