Cura

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

^Cura (Kültür Portalı)

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 is among the smallest members of this family.

The cura has a small body and a very short neck. 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 optimal acoustic harmony.

During the design phase, exact scaled drawings, measurements, cross-sections and detailed illustrations of the instrument are prepared. This demonstrates that the cura is not merely a folk instrument but a carefully designed tool adhering to specific technical and acoustic principles.

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

Like other instruments in the bağlama family, the cura is commonly played using a plectrum known as a tezene. It can also be played by plucking or striking and pulling the strings with the fingers of the right hand. In particular, the parmak cura, known in 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.

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

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

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

Most commonly used in Konya and its surroundings, the cura is also widely found in the Western Mediterranean Region and continues to serve as a means for people across Anatolia to express their emotions and thoughts.