The term Nafir (also spelled nfīr) refers to a slender, shrill-sounding straight natural trumpet characterized by a cylindrical tube and a conical metal bell. It is an instrument capable of producing one or two notes and has historically served as both a military signaling device and a ceremonial instrument.
The nafīr is commonly found in countries shaped by Islamic culture across North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. In historical Ottoman, Persian, and Mugulin miniatures, the instrument is frequently depicted in battle scenes. Within Christian culture, it was played alongside or replaced by the curved tuba or horn starting around the 14th century A.D.