---
url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-int/faq/instruments-artforms/is-the-santoor-related-to-the-yangqin-and-the-cimbalom'
title: 'Is the santoor related to the yangqin and the cimbalom?'
author:
  name: rajeevk
  url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-int/user/0f961cccc99524ed'
date: '2026-10-19T14:59:41+00:00'
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summary: 'Yes: the santoor is a hammered dulcimer, related to the Persian santur, Chinese yangqin, Hungarian cimbalom and German Hackbrett.'
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  [  Help ](/en-int/help)     Is the santoor related to the yangqin and the cimbalom?  

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# Is the santoor related to the yangqin and the cimbalom?

 Updated 19 October 2026

 Yes, the **[santoor](/instrument/santoor)** belongs to the family of hammered dulcimers: box zithers whose strings are struck with a pair of light mallets. Its relatives include the Persian and Iraqi santur, the Chinese yangqin, the Hungarian cimbalom and the German Hackbrett. In Kashmir the santoor was used for centuries mainly to accompany singers of Sufiana Mausiqi, the Sufi-related classical music of the region.



 

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 ###  Instruments (1) 

- [   Santoor The santoor is a Kashmiri hammered dulcimer of about 100 strings on 25 bridges. Shivkumar Sharma and Bhajan Sopori took it from Sufiana Mausiqi to the…     ](/en-int/instrument/santoor)
 
  

 

 

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