Oud / عود

"The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in Persian, Arabic, Hebrew/Jewish, Greek, Turkish, Byzantine, Armenian, North African (Chaabi, Classical, and Andalusian), Somali and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths. The oud is readily distinguished by its lack of frets and smaller neck. It is considered an ancestor of the guitar." -Wikipedia