The ''ghijak'' (also spelled ''ghidjak'', ''ghichak'', ''gidzhak'', ''gijak'', ''g'ijjak,'',
or ''ghijek'' ( ug, غىجەك, ғиҗәк, ghijek, or occasionally ug, غىرجەك, ғирҗәк, ghirjek; Chinese:
艾捷克 ''aijieke'' or
吉孜哈克 ''jizihake''; russian: Гиджак), is a group of related
spike fiddle
Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Books
* ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave
* ''The Spike'' (book), a nonfiction book by Damien Broderick
* ''The Spike'', a starship in Peter F. Hamilto ...
s, used by
Afghans,
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks ( uz, , , , ) are a Turkic ethnic group native to the wider Central Asian region, being among the largest Turkic ethnic group in the area. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, next to Kazakh and Karakalpak mino ...
,
Uyghurs
The Uyghurs; ; ; ; zh, s=, t=, p=Wéiwú'ěr, IPA: ( ), alternatively spelled Uighurs, Uygurs or Uigurs, are a Turkic ethnic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the general region of Central and East Asia. The Uyghur ...
,
Tajiks
Tajiks ( fa, تاجيک، تاجک, ''Tājīk, Tājek''; tg, Тоҷик) are a Persian-speaking Iranian ethnic group native to Central Asia, living primarily in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Tajiks are the largest ethnicity in Taj ...
,
Turkmens
Turkmens ( tk, , , , ; historically "the Turkmen"), sometimes referred to as Turkmen Turks ( tk, , ), are a Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia, living mainly in Turkmenistan, northern and northeastern regions of Iran and north-weste ...
,
Qaraqalpaks and in the
Xinjiang
Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...
province of western China. Despite the similarity of the name, it is more closely related to the Persian
kamancheh
The kamancheh (also kamānche or kamāncha) ( fa, کمانچه, az, kamança, hy, Քամանչա, ku, کەمانچە ,kemançe) is an Iranian bowed string instrument used in Persian, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Kurdish, Georgian, Turkmen, a ...
than the
ghaychak
Ghaychak or Gheychak ( Persian: غیچک) is a bowed lute used in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan. The name is similar to the Central Asian ghijak, but that instrument is more closely related to the kamancheh.
Double-chambered bowl lu ...
.
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 miniature
A Persian miniature ( Persian: نگارگری ایرانی ''negârgari Irâni'') is a small Persian painting on paper, whether a book illustration or a separate work of art intended to be kept in an album of such works called a '' muraqqa''. T ...
s resembles the modern instrument in its construction.
Xinjiang
The ghijek as it is used in Xinjiang has four strings, either with a bowl soundbox (similar to the ''
kamancheh
The kamancheh (also kamānche or kamāncha) ( fa, کمانچه, az, kamança, hy, Քամանչա, ku, کەمانچە ,kemançe) is an Iranian bowed string instrument used in Persian, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Kurdish, Georgian, Turkmen, a ...
''), or with a box soundbox often made from a tin can.
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
/sup>
See also
kamancheh
The kamancheh (also kamānche or kamāncha) ( fa, کمانچه, az, kamança, hy, Քամանչա, ku, کەمانچە ,kemançe) is an Iranian bowed string instrument used in Persian, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Kurdish, Georgian, Turkmen, a ...
References
External links
Afghan ghaychak (box lute)
Tajik ghijak (box lute
Chinese musical instruments
Culture in Xinjiang
Kazakhstani musical instruments
Kyrgyz musical instruments
Afghan musical instruments
Uzbekistani musical instruments
Tajik musical instruments
Turkmen musical instruments
{{lute-stub