Musical Instruments

Amman Folklore Museum, Amman, Jordan

The Amman Folklore Museum is housed in a side entrance chamber (vomitorium) of the Roman Theatre. Musical instruments in this case include: 1-lute, 2-daff (tambourine), 3-tableh (hand drums), 4-sajat (cymbals), 5-rababah (with bow), 6-nai (bamboo flute), 7-double nai, 8-mehbash (rattle), 9-Ramadan drum. Two smaller drums, in the right side of the case, are not identified by name.

In everyday life, a "mehbash" is just a coffee grinder. I suppose that it could be used as a rattle, of sorts, by grasping the handle, turning it upside down, and swooshing it around.

The Ramadan drum is beaten stridently, by a walking drummer ("Musaher"), to wake people up before dawn for breakfast. During Ramadan, the Muslims fast between dawn and sunset.