Home Intangible Cultural Heritage Intangible Cultural Heritage in Turkey Traditional Bagpipe (Gayda/Tulum) Making and Performing
  • Traditional Bagpipe (Gayda/Tulum) Making and Performing
  • Traditional Bagpipe (Gayda/Tulum) Making and Performing

    The traditional bagpipe, known as Gayda or Tulum, is a woodwind instrument made and performed in North Macedonia and in the Eastern Black Sea and Thrace regions of Türkiye. Its structure varies slightly between the two countries, but it generally includes pipes for melody and blowing, along with a body or air reservoir made from goat or sheep skin.
    The melody pipe is commonly crafted from boxwood, while the skin is prepared through soaking, drying and careful assembly. The instrument is closely linked to folk music and is played during weddings, festivals, harvest celebrations and transhumance-related customs.
    The skills of making and performing the bagpipe are passed down through families, music groups, apprenticeships, cultural associations, workshops and educational institutions. As a symbol of cultural identity, the Gayda or Tulum strengthens belonging, social ties, cooperation and community solidarity.

    Traditional Bagpipe (Gayda/Tulum) Making and Performing was inscribed in 2024 on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in Turkey, North Macedonia.
    Intangible Heritage
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    Traditional Bagpipe (Gayda/Tulum) Making and Performing

    Date of Inscription

    2024