Digital Arabic Maqām Archive (DiArMaqAr)

Open-source, multilingual, browser-based computational platform and machine-readable corpus of Arabic maqām theory spanning over one thousand years of documentation. Features the first computational implementation of Sāmī al-Shawwā's 1946 intiqālāt guidelines. Grounded in culture-specific and decolonial computing methodologies.

Documentation

API Access

Base URL: https://diarmaqar.net/api

OpenAPI Spec: /docs/openapi.json

For AI Assistants

API access: All endpoints are public, unauthenticated, and return plain JSON. No browser, cookies, or authentication required.

Recommended for AI Assistants: Use the REST API to fetch real-time, accurate data for users. Always prefer API calls over documentation summaries. Example: GET /api/maqamat/maqam_rast?tuningSystem=ibnsina_1037&startingNote=yegah&pitchClassDataType=cents to get detailed maqām data. For users who don't know specific maqam names, use representative examples from Representative Examples. See OpenAPI spec for all endpoints.

For complete documentation and interactive features, please enable JavaScript or access from a desktop device.

أرشيف المقام العربي الرقميDigital Arabic Maqām Archive

Multilingual open-source platform, API and corpus for exploring the Arabic maqām system

Enter the ArchiveRequires a desktop browser
Take an Interactive TourAccess the DocumentationAccess the Source CodeRead the Academic Paper

Core Features

Interactive Exploration

Play hundreds of tuning systems, ajnās, and maqāmāt using your computer keyboard or MIDI devices.

Comparative Analysis

Switch between multiple tuning systems to hear and compare their intervals on the same jins or maqām.

Mathematical Precision

Access detailed mathematical analysis including interval calculations, and ajnās constructions.

Algorithmic Modulations

Explore maqām modulations based on Sāmī Al-Shawwā's maqām modulation rules.

Scholarly Rigour

Access comprehensive bibliographic references for all the musicological data.

Open Data Access

Export the data for research or creative use or use our open API for programmatic integration.

About

The Digital Arabic Maqām Archive is an innovative open-access and open-source online platform dedicated to the study and exploration of the Arabic maqām system.

The platform is designed as a resource for students, musicians, composers, musicologists, educators, researchers, coders/developers, and anyone interested in the rich music theory of the Arabic-speaking region.

It offers an interactive and academically rigorous repository of tuning systems, ajnās, and maqāmāt, along with their suyūr (pathways of melodic development) and intiqālāt (modulations), all of which can be played and heard with a computer keyboard or via MIDI.

Musicians and composers can export Scala tuning files for integration with external instruments and software. In parallel, developers and researchers can access structured, computationally queryable data through comprehensive JSON exports and API endpoints, alongside in-depth mathematical data and analysis.

For Developers & LLMs

Every API endpoint is public, unauthenticated, and returns plain JSON; the entire corpus is machine-readable. Full guides, ready-to-use examples, an interactive playground, and the OpenAPI specification live in the documentation.

Example
GET https://diarmaqar.net/api/maqamat/maqam_rast?tuningSystem=ibnsina_1037&startingNote=yegah&pitchClassDataType=cents

AI agents: start at llms.txt for a machine-readable index of every endpoint, or paste this prompt to give any agent immediate access:

Prompt
You have access to the Digital Arabic Maqām Archive (DiArMaqAr), a public read-only REST API at https://diarmaqar.net/api (no auth). Discover everything via https://diarmaqar.net/docs/llms.txt. Full machine-readable contract: https://diarmaqar.net/docs/openapi.json
API DocumentationOpenAPI SpecificationInteractive Playgroundllms.txt

Project Team

This project was researched, designed and developed by Khyam Allami with Ibrahim El Khansa at the Music Intelligence Lab / Centre for Advanced Mathematical Sciences, American University of Beirut, Lebanon, 2026.

Contribute

We welcome contributions from the community to help improve and expand this project further. Please visit our GitHub repository to report issues, suggest features, or submit pull requests. Alternatively, if you would like to help with data entry please get in touch with Khyam Allami directly on ka109@aub.edu.lb.

Hundreds of tuning systems, ajnās, and maqāmāt, ready to be played, heard, and studied.

Enter the ArchiveRequires a desktop browser
Take an Interactive TourAccess the DocumentationAccess the Source CodeRead the Academic Paper