AMusical genreIndependent states
Bagshy art — singing with the dutar
The craft of making the Turkmen dutar and the art of singing with it, UNESCO heritage since 2021.
The Turkmen bagshy is a brother of the Azerbaijani ashiq — a folk artist who plays the dutar and sings epics, songs and folk tunes, and the main guest at weddings, holidays and gatherings.
The two-stringed Turkmen dutar is made of mulberry wood, every part shaped by hand by master craftsmen, and the bagshy's art passes from master to pupil, often from father to son.
In 2021 UNESCO inscribed "Dutar making craftsmanship and traditional music performing art combined with singing", and Turkmenistan regularly holds competitions among bagshy.
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Updated: October 3, 2026