Rubab

Rubab (robab, rabab) is a short necked lute-type musical instrument carved out of a single piece of wood, with a membrane covering the hollow body. The rubab has three main strings tuned in fourths, three drone strings, and as many as 11 or 12 sympathetic strings. The rubab is typically made from the trunk of a mulberry tree, the membrane from animal skin, and the strings are either gut (from the intestines of young goats) or nylon.
The rubab originated in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The name comes from the Arab word rebab meaning “played with a bow.” However, the rubab is plucked instead of bowed, and is distinctly different in construction. The rabab is the National Musical Instrument of Afghanistan. The rubab is used by Pashtun, Tajik, Kashmiri and Iranian Kurdish classical musicians. The rubab is known as “the lion of instruments.” It is mentioned in ancient Persian books and many Sufi poets mention it in their writings.