Galen’s father is an amateur luthier, so Galen has a natural interest in stringed instruments and the people who make them. It was not surprising that, when Galen and I split off for ten minutes in the center of Kashgar’s old city, I found him trying out instruments in a Uighur luthier’s shop.
Galen jamming on a Dutar. The Dutar is the most popular instrument among Uighur communities.
Galen bowing what I think is a Ghaykchak.
The Luthier playing one of the Dutars he made.
You may notice that the word for the Dutar sounds similar to a Guitar, and they do not look all that different. That is most likely because they share a common ancestor. The Guitar entered Europe from Spain (hence the Classical Spanish Guitar), which was, at that time, part of a Muslim empire. During the Dark Ages, ideas from all over the world, filtered through Europe via this empire. Though Spain is as far from the Silk Road as one can get in Europe, it was the main conduit for many Silk Road ideas.
More Gyachaks
Rawaps – made with snake skin, with the head bent back on itself
Ghaychak