Hans de Zeeuw began to take baglama lessons and became interested in its long and fascinating history while working at the Free University in Amsterdam and studying at the Open University. This led him to decide to break off his studies and focus, for many years, on research into the Turkish saz or baglama under the supervision of Dr Leo Plenckers of the Department of Musicology of the University of Amsterdam and Dr Okan Murat Ozturk of the Devlet Konservatuvari of the Baskent Universitesi in Ankara. His publications include Tanbur Long-Necked Lutes along the Silk Road and beyond (2019, Archaeopress) and The Turkish Long-Necked Lute Saz or Bag?lama (2020, Archaeopress), both supervised by Dr Saskia Willaert of the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Brussels.