The mazhar is the larger, deeper-voiced cousin of the riq — where the riq is built for speed and bright classical ensemble work, the mazhar is built for weight and sustain. It’s most associated with Sufi devotional contexts in Egypt, where its size and tone make it well suited to long, steady rhythmic cycles rather than rapid finger technique. Some sources use “mazhar” as a general term for any larger tambourine-type frame drum used in Sufi music, distinguishing it from the riq’s classical concert role.