Tanbur

The terms Tanbur, Tanbur, Tanbura, Tambur, Tambura or Tanboor can refer to various long-necked, string instrument originating in Mesopotamia, Southern or Central Asia. According to the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "terminology presents a complicated situation. Nowadays the term tanbur (or tambur) is applied to a variety of distinct and related long-necked string instruments used in art and folk traditions in India, Iraqi Kurdistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, Tajikestan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan. Similar or identical instruments are also known by other terms."

The word tambura refers to several stringed musical instruments:

• Tanbur, a long-necked, string instrument originating in the Southern or Central Asia (Mesopotamia and Persia/Iran)
  • Iranian tanbur (Kurdish tanbur), used in Yarsan rituals
  • Turkish tambur, instrument played in Turkey
  • Yayli tambur, also played in Turkey
  • Tanpura, a drone instrument played in India
  • Tambura (instrument), played in Balkan peninsula
  • Tamburica, any member of a family of long-necked lutes popular in Eastern and Central Europe
  • Tambouras, played in Greece
  • Tanbura (lyre), played in East Africa and the Middle East