In Kazakh, there are two general terms for people who capture, train, and hunt with various birds of prey: "qusbegi" and "sayatshy". Qusbegi comes from the words "qus", meaning "bird", and "bek", meaning "lord", the title thus literally translating as "lord of birds." Kazakh eagle hunter aprentice, Western Mongolia, 2015
The main mosque in Olgii was built in the early 1990s. This mosque was the first mosque in Olgii since the old mosque was destroyed and local imams (Muslim religious leaders) were killed during Stalin-backed purges of religion during the 1930s. Today there is at least 5 mosques inside Olgii, plus more in the small towns in Bayan-Olgii. The call to prayer can be heard several times during the day. The beautiful blue mosque and its minarets (prayer towers) help give the city a Central Asian feel. Olgii, Western Mongolia, 2015
River in Bayan Olgii, western Mongolia, 2015.
