Word of the Day

ربااب

Rabab

Arabic / Pashto

Arabic/raˈbab/Pashto/ˈra.bɑb/
A bowed lute with a goatskin belly. The national instrument of Afghanistan, played by itself for centuries.

The rabab is a short-necked lute played with a bow or plucked with fingers. The word is Arabic and means 'to cause to move' or 'to play.' The name describes what the bow does: causes vibration and song. In Afghanistan, the rabab is not just an instrument—it is a voice.

5 stops · from Arabia to Kabul

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