What is an oud?

What is an oud? Have you ever seen one? Now, I had not until just recently. Apparently an oud is a short necked, half pear-shaped instrument that is directly related to the European lute. It’s name comes from the Middle Eastern derivative for branch of wood. And it is, in fact, known both from physical documentation and through oral tradition considered to be the king of musical instruments. Even to be “the most perfect” of instruments. It is the primary instrument of the Arab world, in a secondary instrument to many surrounding countries including Turkey Armenia Iran, and even a little bit of Greece.