Uyghur Naghra
The naghra is a kettle drum that is often used in open-air and festive occasions among the Uyghurs.
The term “naghra” comes from the Arabic word “naqr”, meaning “to strike”. It is known to have been played in the Middle East since the Middle Ages, and today it is played throughout Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Middle East in various sizes. It is known as an instrument with royal and military connotations, and are quite often used with loud wind instruments such as the shawm sunay. Among the Uyghurs, this “naghra-sunay” combination is very often used in festive occasions such as weddings and new shops openings, as well as in important religious holidays. It is particularly associated with the city of Kashgar, where, during the Islamic festival Qurban, a naghra-sunay band would play on the roof of the Id Kah Mosque, accompanying the crowd in front of the mosque dancing the Sama dance.
The naghra is made of cast-iron or pottery, and covered with animal skins such as cow or donkey skins. They are usually played in pairs of two different sizes.
