Saz

The saz is a long-necked lute with a pear-shaped body, played with a plectrum. The body is usually carved from mulberry wood, frets are tied on the neck and the strings are arranged in three courses.

It comes in several sizes: the large ana saz, the middle orta saz and the small jura saz. The ashiq plays, sings and tells epic tales, and the saz is inseparable from his art.

The saz is seen as the heir of the ancient Turkic qopuz. Known in Türkiye as the bağlama, it is a shared heritage of the Turkic peoples from Azerbaijan to Anatolia.