Morin Khuur
Морин хуур
🌍 Mongolia
Mongolia's horse-head fiddle — the spirit of the open steppe captured in sound
Lin says:
Sain bainuu! I'm Lin! The morin khuur — the horse-head fiddle — is one of the most emotionally powerful instruments in the world. When you hear it played on the Mongolian steppe, you feel the wind in the grass and hear the thunder of horses. It's the soul of Mongolia. UNESCO added it to their Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2008. The bow is made from horse hair — 200 hairs from a stallion's tail for the bow, and the strings are made from 150 mares' tail hairs!
Quick Facts
Named for
The horse (carved head scroll)
Strings
2 strings of horsehair
UNESCO
Intangible Heritage since 2008
Origin
Mongolian steppe, 13th century+
Discover the Morin Khuur
The morin khuur (horse-head fiddle) is crowned with a carved horse's head at the top of its neck. According to Mongolian legend, the instrument was made from the bones and hair of a beloved horse that died.
Instrument Type
String
Known As
Морин хуур
Where It's Played
📷 Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC licence)
For Educators
Music is a universal language! Use this page to spark classroom discussions about culture, history, and how music connects communities around the world.
Did You Know?
A traditional morin khuur uses 200 horsehairs in the bow and about 150 in the strings — every part of the instrument honours the horse, which is central to Mongolian culture and identity.
Mongolia now has full orchestras composed entirely of morin khuurs — large ensembles where the horse-head fiddles play in harmony, producing a uniquely Mongolian orchestral sound.
Expert morin khuur players can imitate the sound of galloping horses, the wind, birds, and running water — the instrument mimics the natural world of the steppe.
What Makes the Morin Khuur Special?
Born from the Horse
Mongolian legend says the instrument was created by a herdsman who missed his horse so much after it died that he fashioned a fiddle from its bones, hair, and skin — so he could hear the horse's spirit again.
Voice of the Steppe
The morin khuur sounds like the Mongolian landscape itself — wind across grassland, running horses, and the vast open sky. Nomadic herders have played it for centuries around campfires and at seasonal gatherings.
Urtiin Duu Connection
The morin khuur accompanies "urtiin duu" (long song) — Mongolia's ancient style of extended, ornamented singing. One syllable of a long song can be held and decorated for minutes. UNESCO listed this too.
Keep Exploring the World!
Music is the heartbeat of every culture. Discover more incredible instruments and the countries where they are played.