EAGLE HUNTERS FESTIVAL

Hunting with golden eagles is an ancient tradition among Central Asian nomads, dating back more than 6,000 years. To revive and pass on this unique heritage to future generations, the Eagle Hunters Festival has been held annually in Mongolia since 2000.

The festival takes place in the form of a competition and opens with a ceremonial parade. Eagle hunters wear traditional clothing, carry their trained golden eagles on their arms, and ride their hunting horses, while judges select the finest attire, horses, and eagle-hunting gear.

The parade is followed by competitions that test the eagles’ hunting skills. In the past, live animals were sometimes used to demonstrate an eagle’s abilities, but this practice has been banned in recent years, largely in response to concerns from visitors.

The event also features traditional Kazakh games such as tug-of-war with a sheepskin and picking up coins from the ground on horseback. Visitors can meet hospitable Kazakh families dressed in traditional clothing and gain a deeper understanding of Kazakh customs, daily life, and cultural traditions.

In 2010, the traditional practice of eagle hunting was officially inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.