Naadam: Mongolia's Festival of the Three Manly Games

Mongolia · festivals · sports · traditions

Three ancient sports. Naadam features the three most important traditional Mongolian competitions: wrestling, horse racing, and archery. Mongolians call it 'eriin gurvan naadam,' which means the three manly games.

Midsummer celebration. The festival happens during midsummer when the weather is perfect and families can gather together across Mongolia to watch and compete in the events.

Thousands of horses race. The horse races are epic events where riders (often children!) race across the steppes on untrained horses, covering distances of 20 to 30 kilometers in a single race.

Ancient archery skills. Archers compete using traditional bows and arrows, showing off skills that Mongol warriors once used in battles hundreds of years ago.

Wrestling with rules. Naadam wrestling has special rules and traditions passed down for centuries, with wrestlers wearing traditional costumes and performing ceremonial movements before each match.