Some instruments called "lyres" were played with a bow in Europe and parts of the Middle East, namely the Arabic rebab and its descendants, including the Byzantine lyra. alt=Picture of a 1960s Ntongoli (Bowl Lyre) from St. Cecilia's Hall, Edinburgh|thumb|218x218px|Picture of a 1960s Ntongoli (Bowl Lyre) from St. Cecilia's Hall, Edinburgh After the bow made its way into Europe from the Middle-East, it was applied to several species of those lyres that were small enough to make bowing practical. The dates of origin and other evolutionary details of the European bowed lyres continue to be disputed among organologists, but there is general agreement that none of them were the ancestors of modern orchestral bowed stringed instruments, as once was thought.
some instruments called "lyres" were played with a bow in europe and parts of the middle east namely the arabic rebab and its descendants including the byzantine lyra alt=picture of a 1960s ntongoli (bowl lyre) from st cecilia's hall edinburgh|thumb|218x218px|picture of a 1960s ntongoli (bowl lyre) from st cecilia's hall edinburgh after the bow made its way into europe from the middle-east it was applied to several species of those lyres that were small enough to make bowing practical the dates of origin and other evolutionary details of the european bowed lyres continue to be disputed among organologists but there is general agreement that none of them were the ancestors of modern orchestral bowed stringed instruments as once was thought