After Tanboor it is the oldest string instrument in Iran. In
800 B.C a kind of Barbat was used. In some books the invention of this
instrument is a scribed to Barbad. As it is told in some books, the reason to
name this instrument Barbat is that this name is the Arabic form of Barbad,
but in some other books it is told that Bat means chest, so the similarity
between the form of a Barbat and the chest of a drake is the other reason for
its name. After Islam’s attack to Iran this instrument was taken to Arabia and
after a while it came back to Iran with a bit change in it. For Islamic
culture penetrated in to Europe, this instrument was used is some parts with
different names , for example in Italy it was called "Lotto", in France "Loth"
in Portugal "Aland" a and in Spain "Loud". This instrument was abolished in
Safavidth period by an unknown reason (maybe because of the religious
fanaticism), even till recent decades. This instrument was used again by
Master Mansour Nariman.
link about Barbat
