The ardin is a type of harp played in Mauritania. It has a resonating body made of calabash and is played by female iggawin, or griots.
The word ardin, possibly derived from the Fulbe word ardo, "to lead," also describes a higher tuning adopted by the lead koni (xalam) during a duet performance. Eric Charry posits that the existence of these similarities, and of the kora tuning called Hardino, demonstrates cultural diffusion among the western African sahel-savanna music system. It may also be related etymologically to tahardant, a Tuareg word for the instrument more similar in appearance to the tidinit.
The ardin is a stringed instrument constructed with a calabash sound box covered in leather, often highly decorated with paintings, with a wooden neck 100 cm (40 in) long. It typically has between 10 and 16 strings. The ardin is traditionally played by women, and is a smaller counterpart to the kora, which is played by men and has 21 strings. The strings are attached to tuning pegs on the neck and adjoin a metal plate with rings on the soundboard which vibrates when the strings are plucked. The leather sound board may also be beaten like a drum.
documented the existence of the instrument in West Africa as early as 1685. Singer and ardin player Dimi Mint Abba became renowned throughout the Muslim world after winning the 1977 Umm Kulthum song contest held in Tunis. In modern times, instruments like the ardin and tidinit are increasingly supplemented or replaced by the electric guitar.
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