AInstrumentIndependent states
Dombra
The national instrument of the Kazakhs — a two-string, long-necked, fretted lute. Dombra Day is celebrated in Kazakhstan on the first Sunday of July.
The dombra has a pear-shaped body and a long neck; its two strings were once made of sheep gut. Players strike the strings with the whole hand, without a plectrum, giving a rhythm that recalls a galloping horse.
In Kazakh tradition there was a dombra in every home, used for epics, aitys and küy. The western style (tökpe) is known for powerful strumming, the eastern style (shertpe) for delicate finger-plucking.
The "Kazakh traditional art of Dombra Kuy" was inscribed on UNESCO's intangible heritage list in 2014, and since 2018 Dombra Day has been celebrated on the first Sunday of July.
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Updated: October 2, 2026