A long-necked fretted string instrument, the buzuq has two metal strings played with a thin piece of horn or a plastic plectrum. The sound box is often carved. The metal strings give the instrument a bright sound quality; while the movable frets offers microtonal possibilities. It is typically used as a solo instrument.

The word buzuq is Turkish and comes from 'bashi-buzuq,' the name given to the Ottoman troops, to mean 'burnt head' or 'uprooted.'

The buzuq is a hybrid instrument that is not considered among the classical instruments of Arabic music. In its folk form, it has a body carved from a single piece of wood. In its modern, urbanized form, the body is constructed from separate ribs and has mechanical, rather than wooden pegs.

The buzuq is found in both folk and urban contexts in Lebanon and Syria, and is associated with itinerant Gypsy musicians. The Rahbani brothers, Lebanese musician songwriters popularized its use in their compositions.

Reference:
Music of the Near East http://www.ethnomusic.ucla.edu/ensembles/worldmusic/neareast/Buzuq.htm