Bayat

Bayat is a term with multiple meanings in music, geography, and ethnography. It appears across languages of the Middle East and Central Asia, including Turkish, Persian, and Arabic, and is also used as a place name and a surname.

In music, Bayat denotes a mode or macro-melodic family in traditional systems. In Turkish classical music, Bayat refers to a melodic framework within the makam system, while in Arabic and Persian traditions the related term Bayati or Bayat designates a widely used modal group. These modes have characteristic melodic phrases and are employed in both folk and classical repertoires and across regional styles.

Geographically, Bayat is the name of several places in Turkey and Iran, including towns, districts, and villages. The toponym appears in historical and contemporary administrative contexts and can indicate different localities depending on the country.

In ethnography, Bayat refers to a Pashtun tribal grouping found in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with various clans and lineages associated with different regions. The name is also used as a surname among Turkish- and Persian-speaking communities, and it appears in diaspora populations around the world.

See also: Bayati, a related term in Arabic and Persian music, and Bayat as a broader transliteration variant in regional usage.