CHAPTER 5: Dulcimers in other countries since 1800 > The santur area

The Caucasus - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia

Armenia

Buchner gives the name santur as one of the instruments of Armenia (62), but neither Vartkes Peltekian nor the members of a folk dance team encountered at a London festival had heard of it; Gifford tentatively suggested that it might be played by the Armenians in Boston, but this has not been confirmed (63) and an enquiry to the Ministry of Information in Yerevan elicited no reply.

Azerbaijan

Massud Maleki, a Persian, felt certain that his mother had mentioned santur in Azerbaijan, which is where she came from, but he was unable to furnish further details (64).

Georgia

Buchner gives "santari (cincilla)" for a Georgian dulcimer name, and mentions quintuple stringing and a three-octave compass (62).

A single instrument is preserved, in the Victoria and AIbert Museum, London, according to Engel's catalogue, It has 25^IV strings: it was illustrated in Stainer & Barrett.

Farmer (65) mentions Georgians in the list of peoples who give the santir (etc.) names to the dulcimer.