Overview
The kobyz, made and played in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region of Uzbekistan, is a traditional string instrument with an arc shape and two strings made from horsehair. The body is covered with leather and includes detailed decorations made from local wood such as mulberry or apricot tree. A special bow, also made from horsehair, is used to play the instrument. The kobyz is designed to be portable, making it easy to carry during long travels, reflecting its ties to a nomadic lifestyle. It is played by storytellers known as ‘zhyrau’, primarily men, who perform epic tales using a particular style of throat singing. The kobyz is used in rituals, weddings, festivals and community gatherings. It is transmitted informally and formally. At home, children often learn from their parents. In the master-apprentice tradition, students learn directly from skilled instrument...
This record is imported from the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage public dataset as discovery metadata. ARED has not independently verified community authority, access protocols or local naming beyond the source record.
Community and Authority
- Communities
- Uzbekistan
- Languages
- Not specified in UNESCO dataset
- Cultural territories
- Uzbekistan
- Countries
- Uzbekistan
How the System Works
The kobyz, made and played in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region of Uzbekistan, is a traditional string instrument with an arc shape and two strings made from horsehair. The body is covered with leather and includes detailed decorations made from local wood such as mulberry or apricot tree. A special bow, also made...
Sources and Evidence
Imported from UNESCO DataHub dataset ich001. Field-level provenance is retained in the record metadata.
Field-Level Provenance
- title
- UNESCO DataHub field title_en
- preferredTitle
- UNESCO DataHub field title_fr
- summary
- UNESCO DataHub field description_en
- type
- UNESCO DataHub fields type_of_element_en and type_acronym
- countries
- UNESCO DataHub field countries, ISO codes resolved with ISO-3166 regional metadata
- categories
- ARED category inference from UNESCO concepts_primary_names, concepts_secondary_names and title
- relationships
- UNESCO concepts_primary_names, concepts_secondary_names, type fields and World Heritage links
- sourceUrl
- UNESCO DataHub field http_url_en
- rights
- UNESCO DataHub dataset metadata license and license_url
Original Source Metadata
Why This Record Is Credible
This public record is connected to 1 source and has been labelled Source Supported. ARED separates evidence sources from cultural authority so users can see both provenance and review limits.
Cultural Access
Use this as public discovery metadata only. It does not replace community authority or local access protocols.
Relationships
Review and Corrections
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