Iranian Dotar, UNESCO world heritage item

Iran is so diverse in culture that every part of it has its unique traditions, costumes and music. The northeastern provinces of Khorasan are famous for the folkloric music played by Dotar.

Playing Dotar and the traditional skills of crafting it were inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2019.

Practitioners and players of the instrument are mostly farmers. Both men and women play it. The players usually sing epic lyrics while playing Dotar.

According to the UNESCO website, “the Dotār is a folkloric plucked musical instrument with a pear-shaped bow crafted with dried wood or mulberry tree, a neck made of apricot or walnut wood, and two strings. Some believe one string is male and functions as the accord, while the other is female, playing the main melody”.

Dotar is performed in various important social and cultural occasions such as weddings, celebrations and other rituals.

In recent years, Dotar has been recognized internationally and has been performed in local, regional and international festivals.

The crafting skills of this traditional instrument have been passed from masters to their students informally.

PR/MG