The Qanun: Queen of Arabic Musical Instruments

Ph: Fatima Abbadi ©
(Al Hannouneh Society for Popular Culture )

The qanun is a string instrument played either solo, or more often as part of an ensemble, in much of the Middle East, Maghreb, West Africa, Central Asia, and southeastern regions of Europe. 

The name derives from the Arabic word qanun, meaning "rule, law, norm, principle", which is itself a phonetic borrowing of the ancient Greek word 'κανών' (rule) or Latin equivalent canon (not to be confused with the European polyphonic musical style and composition technique known by the same name). 

Traditional and Classical musics executed on the qanun are based on Maqamat or Makamlar. 

As the historical relative of santur from the same geography, qanun is thought to trace its origins back to Assyria, where an ancestral homologue might have been used in 

Mesopotamian royal courts and religious ceremonies. The instrument today is a type of large zither with a thin trapezoidal soundboard that is famous for its unique melodramatic sound...continue reading

Mohammed Abdu Saleh, who was born in a suburb of Cairo in 1912, the family of the art it was his father "Alnayati" a member of the choir and Hamouli Abdo Mohammed Othman, when he was the holder of Certificate world Azhar, while his grandfather was "Alnayati" private Sultan Abdul Hamid.

Early morningPush Abdo Saleh love art that is still small _, _ no more than six years to discuss a piece of wood and copper wire and nails be "legally small", defying his father, who tried to small through art, but in vain. Especially after playing Mohammed Abdo, ..continue 

Zeina Alkhatib from Jerusalem, is a young woman shares her passion for one of the Arab world's most beautiful instruments, listen to her story.