Cura

Cura is a fretted and plucked string instrument widely used in Turkish folk music and is one of the smallest members of the bağlama family. Known by various regional names across Anatolia, this instrument is also referred to as dede sazı, parmak cura, üç telli cura, ırızva, or ruzba, depending on local usage and structural characteristics. Certain types are also known specifically as ikitelli cura.

Cura (Culture Portal)

Its Place Within the Bağlama Family

The bağlama, the foundational instrument of Türkiye’s national folk music, forms a broad family due to its many variations in size. The bağlama family instruments, ordered from largest to smallest, are: meydan sazı, divan sazı, çöğür, bozuk, âşık sazı, tambura, cura, bağlama curası, tambura curası. Cura occupies a place among the smallest instruments in this family.

Structural Features and Construction

The body of the cura is small and its neck is notably short. The instrument consists of three main parts: body (called gövde by the public), soundboard (göğüs), and neck (kol). The tuning pegs on the neck are commonly referred to as kulak in folk terminology.

The pear-shaped body of the cura is typically carved from a single block of juniper, willow, or mulberry wood. The neck may be carved from the same block as the body or attached later. In particular, types such as oyma cura require detailed craftsmanship and engineering knowledge during production. During this process, the instrument’s design, balance and proportions, form, and string lengths are calculated with precision to ensure the acoustic harmonies produced by the cura reach an optimal level.

In the design phase, exact scaled drawings, measurements, cross-sections, and detailed illustrations of the instrument are prepared. This demonstrates that the cura is more than a folk instrument—it is a carefully designed instrument built according to specific technical and acoustic principles.

The cura typically has 7 to 16 frets. The number of strings varies between 3 and 6. While six-string curas are most common, there are also versions with three single strings, arrangements with two strings on the bottom, two in the middle, and one on top, and even versions with only two strings. This structural diversity reflects the instrument’s rich regional variations and functional adaptability.

Performance Techniques

Like other instruments in the bağlama family, the cura is commonly played using a plectrum known as a tezene. It can also be performed by plucking or striking and pulling the strings with the fingers of the right hand. In particular, the parmak cura of the Teke region features a unique playing style in which the index finger of the right hand strikes and pulls the strings. Specialized types such as the ikitelli cura (ruzba) also have their own distinct performance methods.

Tuning Systems

As a member of the bağlama family, the cura employs various tuning systems. The bağlama cura is typically tuned one octave higher than the standard bağlama or five notes higher than the tambura. The tambura cura is tuned one octave higher than the tambura or four notes higher than the bağlama cura.

Cultural Significance and Usage

In Turkish folk music, the cura is primarily used as a color instrument for lively pieces. It holds an important place whether played solo or alongside other members of the bağlama family such as the divan sazı, bağlama, or tambura. When played together with these instruments, it may be referred to as bağlama curası or tambura curası.

This instrument has played a critical role in preserving and transmitting cultural heritage. It has served as a carrier of folk music traditions passed down through generations, and the tradition of the ikitelli cura has been maintained through the performances of ozans to the present day.

Although it is most commonly used in Konya and its surroundings, the cura is also widespread in the Western Mediterranean Region and continues to serve as a means of expressing the emotions and thoughts of people throughout Anatolia.