Gopuz

It is one of the most ancient stringed musical instruments. It history of creation dates backs to early of our ear. During excavations made by U.S. archaeologists in 1960 at the foot of Susdagı in Chıgamıs ancient settlement of the South Azerbaijan the rare culture samples belonging to  VI millennium BC have been found. The most interesting of these findings were pottery with description of minstrel and a few other musicians having kept gopuz to breast. Gopuz was known in large geographical areas populated by the Turkic peoples. Its various types with names of kobuz, kobza, komuz, komız and others were  widely used even in some European countries (Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Moldova). Most probably, it had happened during the march of Huns, Turkish tribes in IV-V centuries of our era to Europe (Big movement of peoples).

1) two stringed qil qopuzz or twofold qopuz and played with bow is widely spread among the peoples of Central Asia, particularly widespread in Kazakhstan and is currently being used.

2) “qolcha qopuz’ which is considered as predecessor of modern ashug saz,  a three-stringed qopuz is most ancient stringed musical instrument used by the Azerbaijani Turks. Qolcha qopuz mentioned in  KItabi-Dede Gorgut epos are presented with few names. Names mentioned in the book like qurulucha gopuz, alcha gopuz are not a separate instrument but the same instrument with variety of features.

Abdulqadir Maraghi in his Maqasid al-alhan work had described  structure of “rumular qopuz” and “ozan gopuz”.

Perhaps, etymology of gopuz» word is from  “qop” - the ancient Turkish height, peak, and “uz” is from  avaz, harmony of the magic of music .

Ancient Turkish qopuzı, mainly were two-stringed and three-stringed. Turkic tribes settled in the territory of Altai, Siberia, China, Uighur and Turkmenistan used two-stringed and Anatolian and Azeri Turks have used the three-stringed gopuz. The body of qolca qopuz is oud like but very smaller that it.  Body is made by hewing method. Its surface’s 2/3  part is covered with skin, and the rest covered with a thin wooden coat. Curtains are not bound in short arms of qopuz. The total length is 810 mm, length of body is 410 mm, width is 240 mm, height is 120 mm.

Its diapason is from big octave’s si to the first octave’s lya sound.