The Tanbur from Ancient Times to the Present

About the book
• Author: Seyed Khalil Alinejad (1957–2001)
• Persian title: Tanbur az dirbaz ta konun (“The Tanbur from Ancient Times to the Present”)
• Publisher: Danesh va Fan, Tehran; first printing 1376 SH (1997), 3,300 copies
• ISBN: 964-90430-2-0
• 310 pages, in ten chapters plus a bibliography; in Persian
• Cover calligraphy: Master Abdollah Javari Kermanshahi; music engraving: Ali Kamyar; cover photo: Sarvestan Studio
• Background: according to the book itself, it was submitted in 1375 SH (1996) as the author’s final thesis for the bachelor’s degree in music at the Faculty of Music of the University of Art.

Contents – chapters
The book looks at the tanbur from historical, cultural, structural and musical angles:
1. Preliminaries
2. A look at some dictionaries and lexicons; the origin of the name
3. The tanbur in four ancient treatises
4. The tanbur from the dawn of Islam to the Safavid dynasty
5. The tanbur from the Safavid dynasty to the present
6. The tanbur among other peoples
7. The tanbur in Persian poetry and literature
8. The tanbur in the works of some non-Iranian contemporaries
9. The tanbur in the works of some Iranian contemporaries
10. The tanbur of the Ahl-e Haqq (Yarsan)
Bibliography: list of sources

Why it matters
• One of the few comprehensive studies of the tanbur in Persian, especially from a historical and cultural point of view.
• Written by a practising tanbur player and researcher with a deep knowledge of the instrument and its cultural setting.
• A good resource for music researchers, students and anyone interested in maqam music and Iranian instruments.

Who is it for?
• Lovers of Iran’s traditional and maqam music who want to get to know the tanbur and its history.
• Music students and researchers of Iranian instruments.
• Anyone interested in the culture and music of western Iran (Kurdistan, Lorestan, Kermanshah) and its rituals.