Willie - 9-23-2024 at 08:08 PM
Hello everybody in the forum!
I purchased this plain and unpretentious instrument yesterday. The seller told me that it was built in Syria in the 1990s, the label says Ali Khalifeh
& sons. As far as I know from scrolling through this forum, they have been predecessors to Zeryab - whose ouds look totally different from mine.
Can anybody tell somtething about this special model, and what are the vital data of master Khalifeh and the other luthiers in the family?
Thank you in advance for answering, and a beautiful week to all of you!
Willie
Willie - 9-26-2024 at 07:30 AM
There are remains of glue at the soundhole, there must have been a rosette.So I think the instrument once looked like this:
Willie - 10-26-2024 at 10:33 AM
A better picture of the label might help answering my above questions.
The small arabic writing in the left corner and the big one are name and adress, I think. But what does the small arabic writing in the right corner
mean?
cameron - 10-28-2024 at 05:53 PM
It just says "date of production."
Willie - 10-29-2024 at 03:03 AM
Thank you, Cameron!
Do you happen to know any sources in arabic language for more information about the Khalifeh workshop in Damaskus?
danyjr - 11-4-2024 at 03:03 AM
Ali Khalifa is a well-known Damascus maker. He learned making ouds form his master, Qaribit Badrussian (Armenian-Syrian oud maker). His brand now
includes ouds made by his brothers, sons and grandchildren.
He started making oud in the 50s, making ouds for the lies of Muhammad Abdul Wahab. In the late 70s he started making low-cost ouds for students in a
mass-production factory.
Quite a well-known brand in the Persian Gulf countries.
Willie - 11-4-2024 at 03:56 AM
Thank you, Danyjr! So I think my oud is made by master Ali's sons or grandsons.