Dāʾira, Daf, a type of frame drum, or membranophone, known in many regions by the name of daf and consisting of a skin stretched on one surface (and hollow inside) in the form of a circle or a ring and similar to the modern western tambourine. The dāʾira with cymbals (dāʾirazangī) is played in most regions of Iran and the various types are classified according to the sound which the cymbals make on the membrane of the tambour (Darwīshī, 489).