The storyteller is slowly strumming his rawap, recounting the tales of times long gone. The wind-choked voice is clear over the crack of the fire, and carries far in the biting wind. He is the oldest of the travelers, the one who has seen the most. His jokes and puns delight his captive audience, and they pass the night away at peace, happy, content.

Carved from the wood of the Mulberry tree and faced with cured cowhide, this rare stringed instrument comes from Kashgar, an outpost on the ancient Silk Road.

This high quality, handmade, traditional Uyghur instrument has 7 strings and is approximately one yard (90cm) long. The Rawap is the most popular instrument among the Uyghur. In fact, it is a symbol of the Uyghur nation. The craftsmanship and attention to detail of this Rawap is truly impressive. It is easy to pick up and you will be playing yours in no time!

The Uyghur people are accustomed to taking their Rawaps wherever they go: From playing it on the farm to long distance travel by camel. Our craftsman spent 2 months to create this masterpiece. And the good news... we have this rawap in stock right now!

The history of the Rawap dates back nearly two millennia. The instrument consists of three main parts, the ear piece, handle, and the rawap head. Notice the double goat's horn that adorns the face, this is a local specialty. In ancient times our Uyghur ancestors used to face the Rawap with horse or donkey hide.

The Kashgar Rawap, also known as the Oyma Rawap in antiquity, is commonly outfitted with 6-7 fixed strings, although the ancient examples only have three strings. Only the front two strings are for performing melodies, whereas the rest are sympathetic strings that "sing along" to create an unbelievably rich sound. The front of the Rawap is decorated with wonderful geometric designs and strung with steel.

About Us

The instruments spend about 2 months in our shop from start to finish. All of our stringed instruments are hand made by an experienced team of master craftspeople according to Uyghur traditional style. Each instrument is built to order and unique. We have been selling instruments worldwide for 18 years from our headquarters in Kashgar, Xinjiang Province, China.

Our decorative wooden musical instruments are crafted with serious professionals in mind, but can also be enjoyed by collectors or any who enjoy traditional or rare musical instruments.

Each of our musical instruments is carefully packed into a custom built, sturdy wooden box to ensure its safe arrival at your home. For most intruments, please allow 20 to 30 days for priority shipping; express shipping is available as well.

We are eager to answer any questions you may have, please feel free to ask the seller.

Be sure to visit our store, The Camel's Back, for more exciting treasures from Central Asia.