Rebab

Rabab is a very ancient instrument found primarily in Afghanistan but in India is common in Kashmir.  It is a hollowed-out body of wood with a membrane stretched over the opening.  Combinations of gut (or nylon) and metal strings pass over a bridge which rests on a taught membrane.  The rabab is mentioned quite frequently in old texts.  However this is usually the seni rabab which is different from what we think of today.  It is common to refer to the modern rabab as the kabuli rabab to distinguish it from the seni rabab.