Balaban (instrument)

The balaban or balaman (Azerbaijani: Balaban) is a double-reed pipe with cylindrical bore, about 35 centimetres (14 in) in length, with eight finger holes and one thumb hole, which is played in the eastern part of Iran's historic Azerbaijan region as well as in the Republic of Azerbaijan (where it is also called düdük, according to the Encyclopædia Iranica). The Azeri balaban, the Turkish mey, and the Armenian duduk are almost identical, except for historical and geographical differences. Balaban can be made of mulberry or other harder woods, such as walnut. The bore through the instrument is about 1.5 centimetres (0.59 in) in diameter.