Dombra (Kazakh Two-String Lute)
Pear-shaped, long-necked two-stringed plucked lute of the Kazakh steppe, the country's signature instrument. Solo instrumental pieces (kuy) performed on dombra are central to Kazakh identity and the tradition of Dombra Kuy is inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List. Legendary kuishi like Qurmangazy composed famous kuys on it, and epic singers accompanied their tales with the instrument. The two gut or nylon strings are tuned a fourth apart, and the player fingers the melody with one hand while striking both strings with the other, giving the kuy its driving rhythm and its dialogue between hi