Cretan lyra
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| Other names | Cretan lyra, Cretan lira |
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Lyra made by Manolis Stagakis
The lyra (Greek: λύρα) is a musical instrument central to the traditional music of Crete in Greece. The three-stringed lyra is played with a bow. It is not related to the Pontian kemenche as it is played by pressing the strings with the nails from the side. In Greece it is used mainly in the island of Crete and some islands of the Aegean archipelago as well as in parts of northern Greece. It is closely related to the Bulgarian Gadulka, and the Turkish kemençe (Armudî kemençe/πολίτικη λύρα). Noted Cretan lira players include Kostas Mountakis, Thanassis Skordalos, and Psarantonis. Today in Rhodes, Yiannis Kladakis is known for reviving this type of lyra in the island.
The lyra, sometimes spelled lira, is often confused with the lyre, a harp-like stringed instrument which was developed in ancient Greece.