Living primarily in the rugged highlands in the country's centre, the Hazaras are one of Afghanistan's largest ethnic minorities, accounting for up to 20 percent of Afghanistan's 30 million inhabitants. The Hazaras are said to be descendants of Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol empire, and the Mongol soldiers who swept through the region in the 13th century. Their Asiatic features and language - a dialect of Persian - set them apart from other Afghans, including the predominant ethnic Pashtun. While the Hazaras are primarily Shia Muslims, most Afghans follow the Sunni branch of Islam. Farsi Language History. Farsi, also known as Persian Language, is the most widely spoken member of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, a subfamily of the Indo-European languages.
The dombra, also known as dombyra is a long-necked Kazakh lute and a musical string instrument. The dombyra shares certain characteristics with the komuz and dutar, such as its long, thin neck and oblong.