AInstrumentIndependent states
Balaban
A soft, plaintive double-reed wind instrument. The art of making and playing it became UNESCO heritage in 2023 through a joint Azerbaijani–Turkish nomination.
The balaban is a cylindrical pipe usually made of apricot or plum wood, with eight finger holes in front and one at the back and a broad double reed at the top. Its sound is soft and plaintive.
It is played in both mugham and ashiq ensembles — the Shirvan ashiqs in particular accompany the saz with balaban — and is often heard at weddings and festivities.
"Craftsmanship and performing art of balaban/mey" was inscribed on UNESCO's intangible heritage list in 2023 through a joint nomination by Azerbaijan and Türkiye, where the instrument is called the mey.
Sources
Updated: October 1, 2026