{{short description, Traditional Egyptian string instrument Joueur de Simsimiyya (Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris) (8237760204)

The ''simsimiyya'' (

Egyptian Arabic Egyptian Arabic, locally known as Colloquial Egyptian ( ar, العامية المصرية, ), or simply Masri (also Masry) (), is the most widely spoken vernacular Arabic dialect in Egypt. It is part of the Afro-Asiatic language family, and o ...

: سمسمية, and سنسمية ''sinsimia/sinsimiyya''; pl. ''simsimiyyāt/sinsimiyyāt'') is an indigenous

Egyptian Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...

stringed instrument that has its roots in ancient Egypt. It is used in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

in certain genres of

Egyptian music Music has been an integral part of culture of Egypt, Egyptian culture since antiquity in Egypt. Egyptians, Egyptian music had a significant impact on the development of ancient Greek music, and via the Greeks it was important to early European m ...

Joueur de Simsimiyya (Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris) (8237758136)

The simsimiyya is used in an Egyptian genre of folk music known as ''Sawahli'' (coastal) music, which is a type of popular Egyptian music from the country's northern coast that is based around ancient Egyptian instrumentals. The simsimiyya was probably introduced to the country's northern coast from the Nile valley in the 19th century by Egyptian workers in the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...

. It is also used in other genres of Egyptian music. Well known Egyptian bands that feature the simsimiyya as a main instrument include el-Tanboura, which uses other ancient Egyptian instruments. The simsimiyya is often used to accompany an Egyptian dance called ''bambutiyya'', as well as among the groups of Egyptian musicians known as ''suhbagiyya'', in the cities of

Port Said Port Said ( ar, بورسعيد, Būrsaʿīd, ; grc, Πηλούσιον, Pēlousion) is a city that lies in northeast Egypt extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal. With an approximate population of 6 ...

and

Ismailia Ismailia ( ar, الإسماعيلية ', ) is a city in north-eastern Egypt. Situated on the west bank of the Suez Canal, it is the capital of the Ismailia Governorate. The city has a population of 1,406,699 (or approximately 750,000, includi ...

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It is sometimes used in other countries neighboring Egypt as well.

References

__NOTOC__ *''Shiloah, Amnon.'' ''"The Simsimiyya: A Stringed Instrument of the Red Sea Area."'' ''Asian Music,'' ''vol. 4,'' ''no. 1,'' ''Near East-Turkestan Issue (1972),'' ''pp. 15-26.''

External links

Simsimiyya page

References

External links

See also