"Rubab: Pakistan's Pashtun Lute and Where to Hear It"

The rubab is a short-necked lute carved from a single block of mulberry wood, with a goat-skin face, three melody strings and a set of drone and sympathetic strings that give it its ringing sound. In Pakistan it is the lead instrument of Pashto music in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and it is also played in Balochistan, Kashmir and the north. Peshawar is the centre for making and playing it. The easiest way for most travellers to hear a rubab live is the Lok Mela at Lok Virsa in Islamabad each November.

This guide explains how the instrument is made and played, its history from Afghanistan to Guru Nanak's companion Bhai Mardana, the workshops of Peshawar, and where you can hear it.

What is a rubab?

The rubab belongs to the family of Central Asian lutes, and it is the national instrument of Afghanistan. Its body, neck and head are carved from one piece of mulberry wood. The deep, waisted bowl is hollowed out and covered with animal skin, usually goat, and the bridge sits on the skin, held in place by the tension of the strings.

The strings are what give it its sound. There are three main melody strings, tuned in fourths, two or three drone strings, and up to fifteen thin sympathetic strings that are not plucked but ring when the main strings are played. Strings were traditionally made of gut and are now usually nylon or steel. The player plucks with a plectrum, in fast, bright runs over a constant ringing drone.

Pakistani instruments are often smaller than the larger Afghan rubab. The Peshawar player Gulab Afridi plays one of these smaller Pakistani-built instruments.

Where does the rubab come from?

The earliest written reference to the rubab is in Arabic texts of the 10th century. It spread across Afghanistan, Central Asia and northern India, and grew into several related instruments: the Kabuli rubab of Afghanistan, the Pamiri rubab of Tajikistan, the Seni rabab of north India and the rawap of the Uyghurs.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, musicians and writers often describe the rubab as an instrument of the region itself. Writing in The News in December 2024, the Peshawar journalist Sher Alam Shinwari quoted a researcher who traces its origin to the mountains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa about 2,000 years ago, and noted early examples in the museums of Peshawar, Swat and Taxila. Historians debate where it began, but there is no doubt about how deep its roots are here.

The rubab also has a place in Sikh history. Bhai Mardana, a Muslim musician from Talwandi, the town now called Nankana Sahib, travelled with Guru Nanak and played the rubab while the Guru sang. That tradition of devotional singing with the rubab is still remembered in Sikh music. Our guide to Nankana Sahib covers the town and its gurdwaras.

How is the rubab used in Pashto music?

Pashto music is built around the rubab, with harmonium and tabla, and in folk settings the mangai, a clay pot played as a drum. The rubab plays the opening melody, answers the singer between lines and carries the fast instrumental passages. The oldest and most popular Pashto form is the tappa, a short verse sung both at weddings and in times of grief. Its traditional accompaniment is the rubab with the mangai, or the rubab with a sitar in informal settings.

You hear it at weddings, in the hujra, the men's guest room of a village, at music evenings and on Pashto radio, television and film soundtracks. It also turns up in Balochi music and in Gilgit-Baltistan, where it is one of the main folk instruments. Our guide to Pakistani folk music puts it alongside qawwali, Sindhi kafi and Balochi music, and our guide to traditional instruments covers the other instruments you are likely to meet.

Where is the rubab made?

Peshawar is the main centre. Instrument makers work in the Dabgari area of the old city, where the national news agency APP has photographed craftsmen carving and fitting rubabs in their workshops. Making one is slow work: the body is carved from a single block, the skin is stretched and dried, and the frets and pegs are fitted by hand.

Peshawar also became a base for Afghan musicians who left their country, and some set up practice rooms and informal music schools in the city, so the Afghan and Pakistani traditions overlap there.

The craft has had hard years. In Swat and much of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa between about 2006 and 2016, music shops and studios were closed or attacked by militants, and many musicians gave up the profession. Gulab Khel Afridi opened the Gul Rubab Academy in Peshawar, the first full rubab school in the province, in 2010; it had to close and later reopened. In 2024 he told The News that players still face threats, and the paper noted that skilled makers and players had become scarce in Mardan, Peshawar and Swat.

Is the rubab on the UNESCO list?

Yes, but not as a Pakistani entry. On 4 December 2024 UNESCO added the art of crafting and playing the rubab to its list of intangible cultural heritage, as a joint nomination by Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Pakistan was not part of that nomination. A year later, in December 2025, UNESCO listed Sindh's ancient clay wind instrument, the bareendo, for urgent safeguarding.

Where can you hear the rubab live?

Rubab music is mainly heard at private events, so a visitor has to choose the right moment.

• Lok Mela, Islamabad. The national folk festival at Lok Virsa brings folk musicians from every province, which makes it the most reliable place to catch Pashto music. It ran from 7 to 16 November in 2025. The 2026 dates had not been announced in early October, so check with Lok Virsa. Our Lok Mela guide covers tickets and timings.
• Lok Virsa museum. Outside the festival, the museum in Islamabad has displays of traditional musical instruments. See our Lok Virsa museum guide.
• Peshawar. Nishtar Hall, the city's main cultural venue, has hosted rubab competitions and concerts, and newer bands such as Khumariyaan, who build their music around the rubab, have brought it to young audiences.
• Weddings and hujra evenings. The most natural setting of all, and open to you only by invitation. If you have Pashtun friends, ask them.
• Gilgit-Baltistan. The rubab is one of the main folk instruments in the north, heard at festivals and weddings.

Can you buy a rubab in Pakistan?

Yes. The workshops in Peshawar make instruments for sale, from student models to fine concert rubabs. Buying in person lets you hear the instrument and check the skin and the neck. A few things to know:

• Hear it played before you pay. A good maker or shopkeeper will tune it and play it for you.
• Check the skin. It should be tight, unbroken and evenly stretched.
• Ask for a hard case. The skin and wood are sensitive to heat and damp, so a car boot in June or a cargo hold can do damage.
• Ask about strings and spares, which can be harder to find outside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

We don't give prices, because they vary hugely with the wood, the skin and the maker.

Is it worth seeking out?

Yes, if you like music. A good rubab player is one of the great sounds of Pakistan, and very few visitors hear one live. For most people the realistic plan is the Lok Mela in November or a festival in the north in summer. A trip to Peshawar for music alone only makes sense if you have contacts there and have checked the security situation. Our experiences page has more ideas for cultural trips.

Frequently asked questions