The morin khuur (Mongolian: морин хуур) is a traditional Mongolian bowed stringed instrument. The full Classical Mongolian name for the morin khuur is morin-u toloγai tai quγur (which in modern Khalkh cyrillic is Морьны толгойтой хуур) meaning fiddle with a horse's head. In western Mongolia it is known as ikil (Mongolian: икил—not to be confused with the similar Tuvan igil)—while in eastern Mongolia it is known as shoor (Mongolian: Шоор). It is known in Chinese as matouqin (Chinese: 馬頭琴). It produces a sound which is poetically described as expansive and unrestrained, like a wild horse neighing, or like a breeze in the grasslands. It is the most important musical instrument of the Mongolian people, and is considered a symbol of the Mongolian nation.
The morin khuur is one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity identified by UNESCO. .
