An archival record of Stefan Cruysberghs’s 2014 Mongolia trip, as published in 2015. Historical population counts and sweeping claims about the eagle-hunting tradition are omitted because they were not independently verified.

Photos of Mongolia by Stefan Cruysberghs

Photos of Mongolia by Stefan Cruysberghs

In his account originally published with this gallery, Stefan Cruysberghs described visiting Mongolia’s Altay Mountains with friends in October 2014 to photograph Kazakh eagle hunters.

The images show riders with trained eagles in a rocky, open landscape. Cruysberghs wrote about the care and skill involved in the hunting tradition, from his perspective on that 2014 trip.

He also described attending a two-day Golden Eagle Festival. The riders, horses and eagles pictured here reflect that visit; the gallery does not establish current practices or participation.

Riders and horses crossing shallow water in MongoliaSaveHandlers and trained eagles on rocky groundSaveEagle perched with a rider on horsebackSaveRider in fur clothing holding an eagleSaveRider raising an eagle from horsebackSaveHandler watching an eagle in flightSaveRider traveling with an eagle on horsebackSaveRider in embroidered clothing beside a horseSaveTwo riders crossing an open plainSaveRiders and horses in the mountain landscapeSaveEagle flying close to a riderSaveRider leaning from a horse in motionSavePortrait of a rider holding an eagleSaveRider in fur clothing with a horseSave

See Stefan Cruysberghs’s photo albums, including Mongolia.