Kopuz

Kopuz is a musical instrument that holds a significant place in the historical and cultural heritage of Turkic communities and is directly linked to the oral narrative tradition. It has been used as a cultural instrument alongside epic recitation, ozanlik, baksilik, and shamanic practices. The tradition of making and performing the kopuz in the Karakalpakstan region of Uzbekistan was inscribed in 2025 on the Intangible Cultural Heritage">List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding under the UNESCO">Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Historical Process

The earliest detailed assessments of the kopuz’s history have been addressed within studies of Turkish literature and cultural history. Fuad Köprülü, in his work The Origins of Turkish Literature, evaluated the kopuz within the formation process of Turkish poetry and music and highlighted its role in social life since the Huns era. The practice of presenting musical instruments to rulers and court officials among the Huns demonstrates that the kopuz and similar instruments carried cultural value from early times.

Periskes Rheter, a source from the 5th century on the Huns, noted that the Huns possessed heroic epics and folk songs; he described how Hun girls sang during Attila’s entrance to his capital and how bards performed melodies praising the ruler’s military victories accompanied by the kopuz.^【1】 These accounts reveal that the kopuz was not merely an instrument but also a fundamental element in the transmission of oral history.

Chinese sources indicate that the Köktürks (Tukiyu) placed importance on music and that men played an instrument called “hyupu,” which is identified as the kopuz. Uyghur texts explicitly mention the kopuz, recording that Uyghur ruler Bökü Kağan played it and that princes performed musical pieces accompanied by the kopuz.^【2】

Kopuz within the Baksı, Ozan, and Shamanic Tradition

In the epic period of Turkic culture, the kopuz was closely associated with the baksı and ozan traditions. Radloff defined the baksı as a Kyrgyz shaman who practiced shamanism through the kopuz. It is recorded that Kyrgyz baksıs believed they could influence spirits and demons while playing the kopuz and performed rituals during weddings, communal ceremonies, and healing practices.^【3】

In ozan performances, the kopuz served as an instrument that regulated the rhythm of narration and supported oral storytelling. Ozans recited heroic epics and anonymous compositions accompanied by the kopuz, enriching their repertoire with improvised forms known as “obon.” In this context, the kopuz functioned as a unifying element where melody, text, and performance converged in the transmission of oral culture.

Nomenclature

The term “kopuz” appears in historical and oral sources in various forms. Kaşgarlı Mahmud, in Dîvânu Lugâti’t-Türk, compared the kopuz to the Arab oud and recorded related terms such as “kobzamak” and “kobuzlug” derived from the same root. The XIIIth-century İbn Mühenna Lügati mentions an instrument called “kobur,” noting that among the Altai Turks it was used in forms such as “kopur” and “kuur.”^【4】

In the Codex Cumanicus, the term “cobuhçi” is found, meaning a person who plays the kopuz, along with its verbal and nominal derivatives. Houtsma and Nemeth Gyula identified various regional forms of the word in Turkic dialects. Gazimihal noted a semantic proximity between the word “kopuz” and the modern Turkish word for “throat.”^【5】

Structural Features and Types

The earliest Turkic kopuz had a body covered with skin and strings made from horsehair, with frets on the neck. Historian Hammer noted that wooden-bodied kopuzes began to be made by Anatolian Turks in the 16th century. According to Ataman, the kopuz is a stringed instrument with a long neck and a body that is either pear-shaped or three-sided. During its development in Anatolia, its strings transitioned to metal and it acquired a new structure through the addition of frets attached to the neck.^【6】

There are differing views regarding the performance technique of the kopuz. Reinhard described the kolca kopuz as a bowed instrument, while other sources refer to types played with a plectrum. Abdülkadir Merâgî described the kopuz as resembling a small oud, noting that its soundboard was covered with skin and that it had five pairs of strings.^【7】

In the Kyrgyz and Kazakh regions, the kopuz is defined as a two-stringed instrument with a hollow body and horsehair strings, played while held between the knees. The kopuz used by the Caucasian Nogays is also described as two-stringed and played with a bow. Among the Uzbeks, the kopuz has a body composed of a tail, bowl, neck, and headstock, with strings made from horse tail hair.

Mouth Kopuz

The mouth kopuz, a type within the kopuz family, is also known as the jaw harp. This instrument operates on the principle of a vibrating metal or bamboo tongue directed by the oral cavity and breath. The mouth kopuz is widely used across Central Asia and Siberia and is known among Turkic communities under names such as awız kopuz, demir kopuz, domboi, and şankopız.

In the context of shamanic belief, the mouth kopuz was used alongside drums and tambourines to facilitate trance states. Among the Altai, Khakas, Tuvan, and Yakut Turks, the mouth kopuz was employed in hunting rituals, festive gatherings, and healing ceremonies. In some regions, its performance was prohibited in certain locations due to the belief that it could influence supernatural entities.

Kopuz in Anatolia

The kopuz continued to exist within Anatolian Turkic culture. Fuad Köprülü noted that numerous poets and minstrels, beginning with the Dede Korkut Stories, referenced the kopuz. In these tales, the kopuz is directly linked to the ozan tradition, and Korkut Ata is regarded as the patriarch of both the instrument and the art of storytelling. The fact that the kopuz is mentioned nineteen times in the texts underscores its central role in the narrative tradition. In Anatolia, the kopuz was also known as “yelteme” and “şeştâr.” Evliya Çelebi recorded that the yelteme was the kopuz played by Korkut Ata and that it had multiple strings. Şeştâr, a six-stringed variant of the kopuz, was known in Iran and Azerbaijan.^【8】

Kopuz within UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Framework

The kopuz, as a tradition of manufacture and performance preserved in the Karakalpakstan Autonomous Republic of Uzbekistan, was inscribed in 2025 on the Intangible Cultural Heritage">List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding under the UNESCO">Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.^【9】 It is a stringed instrument with a skin-covered body, horsehair strings, and a bow. It is used by Zhyrau — epic narrators — in rituals, weddings, festivals, and community gatherings. Transmission of the tradition occurs through familial learning, master-apprentice relationships, small-group instruction, and cultural events. UNESCO’s nomination files and committee decisions provide an institutional framework for this information.