Sina Daf festival is underway in the Kurdish city of Sanandaj, Iran.
Now in its ninth year, the three-day festival attracts daf players of all ages and abilities
Made from animal skin stretched over and bolted to a wooden frame, the daf's simple design belies the coordination required to carry, balance and play the instrument with both hands.
With roots in Zoroastrianism and Sufism, the daf can be seen and heard all over the Kurdish cultural landscape - at Sufi religious cermonies, at mosques, or accompanying folkloric tales.
The festival - whose name, Sina, is the Kurdish word for Sanandaj - consists of two parts: individual and group performances. A committee of famous Kurdish and Persian singers will select the festival's best Daf player.
Related: Kurdish daf: beat of a nation
Photos by Rudaw