AKM280.42

Lamia Yared: Chants des Trois Cours (excerpts), recorded at the Aga Khan Museum on September 1, 2020.

At its height, the Ottoman empire (1299-1922) spanned a vast territory that encompassed southeastern Europe, Anatolia (present-day Turkey), the Levant, Iraq, western Arabia, and much of North Africa. Gatherings at the Ottoman court in Istanbul were often accompanied by ensemble music. On the left-hand side of this double illustration, the painter has depicted an Ottoman musical ensemble, playing cengs (harps), ‘uds (lutes), daffs (frame drums) and kamanchehs (an upright bowed instrument). Ottoman ensemble compositions are relatively well documented, allowing performers today to recreate this music.