The opening at the top of a Kazakh yurt is called a Shangiraq. It functions by holding the yurt together, but also symbolizes the hearth of the home and the wheel of the sun. Share this: Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp More Print (Opens in new window) Print Share on TumblrTweetLike Loading... Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL. Shangiraq The opening at the top of a Kazakh yurt is called a Shangiraq. The circle represents the circle of life and the cross marks the cardinal points.