Ghoshmeh may have come from the tradition of making the instruments from the bones of birds, although one linguist suggests other possibilities, including "pair.

In Kurdish areas, this instrument is made from a plant called Zaleh, which grows near rivers.

In modern times, the instrument's body has also been made from aluminum or copper tubes.

[2] The instrument has been seen as sufficiently important to Iranian culture and history to encourage interest in it, through placement on the Iran National Heritage List.

It is placed in works of North Khorasan in the "field of intangible cultural heritage", item 1543: Techniques and skills of making Ghoshmeh local instrument.