The Riq 🎶

 

Turkish girl playing the riq while the nightingale sings.  Medieval Ottoman era.

Riq is the modern tambourine that originated in Arab classical music. Traditionally the riq is made with a wooden frame, fish or goat skin head, and brass or copper jingles (zills). Decorations often include intricate mosaics or mother-of-pearl inlay work. Modern versions frequently use synthetic materials like plastic or polyester instead of fish or goat skin.  It features five pairs of jingles and requires a high level of skill to play, involving intricate finger-roll techniques.

In Islamic civilization, the riq became a central and "noble" instrument in court music, serving as the rhythmic foundation for ensembles featuring instruments like the oud (ancestor of the European mandol) and qanun (or the piano of the east). Its name derives from the Arabic word رق.

The culture of riq spread to Europe via the Islamic influence in Spain during the Al-Andalus period; and also through the Ottoman influence in 17^th and 18^th centuries.  Europeans later named this musical instrument "tambour" leading to the name tambourine.

It continues to be an essential instrument in traditional classical and folk music in the Muslim world from Turkiye across North Africa, Northern Middle-East and Iran.

In the Muslim world, the riq is more than just a simple tambourine; it is an instrument that embodies centuries of rich musical tradition and cultural expression.