Ghijak

The ghijak (also spelled ghidjak, ghichak, gidzhak, gijak, g'ijjak,[1], or ghijek (Uyghur: غېجەك, ғиҗәк‎‎, ULY: ghijek , Uyghur: غىجەك‎‎, ULY: ghijek , or occasionally Uyghur: غىرجەك, ғирҗәк‎‎, ULY: ghirjek ; Chinese: 艾捷克 aijieke or 吉孜哈克 jizihake), is a group of related spike fiddles, used by Afghans, Uzbeks, Uyghurs, Tajiks, Turkmens, Qaraqalpaks [2] and in the Xinjiang province of western China. Despite the similarity of the name, it is more closely related to the Persian kamancheh than the ghaychak.

Ghijak

Classification	Bowed string instrument
Related instruments
Kamancheh

History

The instrument name appears in 10th-century manuscripts, which indicate that the bridge (harrak) was made of almond shells. The ghidjak as depicted in 15th-century Persian miniatures resembles the modern instrument in its construction.[1]

Xinjiang

The ghijek as it is used in Xinjiang has four strings, either with a bowl soundbox (similar to the kamancheh[3]), or with a box soundbox often made from a tin can.[4] One of Xinjiang's most prominent ghijek players is Akram Omar (艾克热木·吾买尔 / ئەكرەم ئۆمەر / Акрам Омар), from Kashgar.^video

References

1. John Baily and Razia Sultanova (2001). "Ghidjak". Grove Music Online (8th ed.). Oxford University Press.
2. http://www.akdn.org/akmi-instrument-38. Missing or empty |title= (help)
3. 艾捷克 (in Chinese). 百度百科. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
4. http://mus6155musicofasia.weebly.com/instruments.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)

See also

kamancheh

External links

• Afghan ghaychak (box lute)
• Tajik ghijak (box lute

References