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Persian musical instruments have been around for a long time, some even more than a thousand years. Originating from a region that is now modern-day Iran, they have seen the rise and fall of many empires and kingdoms and are a part of many cultures and traditions around the world, especially in places like the Middle East and Central Asia.
Some were used in songs sung in praise of gods, while others were thought to be answers to medical problems. Many of these instruments are still a part of people's daily lives or are played during special occasions.
Let's find out more about seven of these amazing medieval instruments that are older than anyone alive.
In its current form, this instrument has been around since the 18th century. Back in those days, people thought that melodies played on the tar could cure headaches and sleeplessness. Today, it is a big part of Persian classical music.
The oud is one of the most popular instruments in Arabic music and is a descendant of the Persian instrument, barbat. A string instrument, it is used in every occasion imaginable, whether to celebrate a happy event or to express sadness.
It is thought to be the ancestor of the European lute. Historians believe that the instrument's presence in the Arab world goes all the way back to the 1st century BC. That's more than 2,000 years ago! Can you even begin to imagine what life was like then?
This tambourine-like instrument goes by many other names depending on which part of the world you are in. You can find it in places like Iran, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and many more. In Macedonia, it is used in folk music and during rituals like weddings.
Nobody knows exactly how old the dayereh is but a version of it appears in paintings from more than 500 years ago.
Popular in Persian, Azerbaijani, Turkmenistan and Kurdish music , the kamancheh has a history that goes back more than 1,000 years. Its name means "little bow" in Persian. To craft and play it takes time and plenty of skills. In Iran, it’s an important instrument that is played during social and cultural gatherings.
What that means is that a musician plays it by hitting the strings with special hammers. The santur was invented in ancient Iran and Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq). It was also brought all over the the Middle East as part of trade. Over time, each place adapted the instrument to their liking. It is believed that the santur is the ancestor to instruments such as the Chinese yangqin, the Middle Eastern and North African qanun and the European harpsichord.
The tombak is a pre-Islamic drum from the Persian empire, harking back to at least 1,400 years ago. During that time, it was called the dombalag.
While the instrument is a main percussive instrument in Persian music today, musicians who played the tombak were not always highly regarded among other musicians and society at large because of the music's association with lower-class entertainment. In fact, they were considered lower in status up until the 1950s. This was when tombak musicians showed that the instrument was a force to be reckoned with and that they were just as good as any other classical musician.
Not much is known about the history of this humble-looking instrument. The only fact known to historians is that it went through a lot of changes and was almost forgotten in the 19th and early 20th century because of the popularity of the tar.
The Persian setar used to have three strings but a dervish named Moshtaq-Ali Shah later added another string to the instrument to improve its sound. This is why the fourth string is also known as Moshtaq's string. Moshtaq was thought to have loved the instrument so much that he used to play the setar while reading the Quran, the holy book of Islam.
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