The term kemenche (Turkish: kemençe, Laz: Ç'ilili - ჭილილი, Persian: کمانچه, Greek: κεμεντζές) is used to describe two types of three-stringed bowed musical instruments:
1. a bottle-shaped lute closely related to the Persian Kamanche, found in the Black Sea region of Asia Minor, it is also known as the "kementche of Laz" or Pontic kemenche and
2. a pear-shaped lute closely related to the Byzantine lyra, found mainly in Instabul and the Eastern regions of Turkey, known as Classical kemenche.
