Origin: Central Asia

Location: Chitral, KPK

Make: Black Mulberry Wood/Timber

Cost: 5,000-15,000PKR

Craftsmen: Noor Sher/Hameedullah Ghani

Famous Chitrali Sitar Players: Aftab Alam Khan

Number of Chitrali Sitar players in Pakistan: 15-20

The Chitrali Sitar or Setar is a string instrument with Persian roots. The word Seh-tar literally means ‘three strings’. However, the Chitrali Sitar has five stings. The Chitrali Sitar is different to the traditional Indian Sitar in both shape and the sound, being smaller in size with a long narrow neck and a shallower resonance box. It is more similar to the Persian Setar and the Saaz.