The Katim (from the verb “katama”, to mute or to muffle) is a heavy frame drum with a dull sound. The Katim is usually squeezed between the player’s knees and is meant to be played with the hands as opposed to the fingers. Most Katim-s today have a plastic head and are tunable. The Katim’s main role is to support other instruments in the rhythm section by accenting the dum and tak basic sounds with much ornamentation.

Source: www.maqamworld.com