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 Construction:The harp is a member of the string family. It is the only member of the modern orchestra that is entirely plucked.
There are two major classes of harps: the Celtic/folk/lever harp and the concert/pedal harp. Both types of harp are contracted of three elements: the column, the curving neck/harmonic curve and the sounding board, pictured below. Both types of harp have strings made of nylon, cat gut or wire, or combination of these. The stings have the same tones as the white notes on a piano. Both types of harp colour code Cs and Fs to help orient the musician.
The major difference between the two harps lies in the mechanisms available to change the key of the instrument. Folk harps change key using a set of levers which must be changed manually for a key change or accidentals. Concert harps, which are the more modern version of the harp, have pedals built in for key changes. These pedals allow the musician to set keys with sharps or flats, and to change keys quickly by changing the position of the pedals with his/her feet. This leaves the musician's hands free to play while the changes are taking place. Typically, it is easier to play more modern pieces on the concert harp for that reason. Key changes and accidentals are a more modern invention themselves, so most folk music will have little or no need for quick changes. This allows the folk harp musician to play a lot of music without difficulty. 
History:The harp dates back as early as Mesopotamia, which is 3000 BC. Harps were played in ancient Egypt, and early Greece. The harp was brought to Europe before the 800s by Troubadours, singing travelers, and Gypsies. It has remained an important part of European, especially Celtic, culture. It was on the flag of Ireland before the Partition of 1922, and is still used today as the trade mark for that great Irish brew, Guiness.The harp is considered to be the ancestor to the piano, a fact which is easy to see since the piano is merely a harp turned sideways and played with hammers instead of being plucked. Turlough O'Carolan:Turlough O'Carolan is probably the most famous harpist. He lived from 1670-1738 in Ireland, where he traveled all over singing, playing, and writing.
He wrote many songs as he traveled, many as payment in exchange for room and board. This would have been considered great payment in those times as it was believed that to have one's name in a song was a form of immortality. The most marvelous thing about O'Carolan was that he was completely blind. Thanks to him we have "Fanny Power," "O'Carolan's Welcome," "O'Carolan's Farewell to Music," and many, many more. Indeed, most of the old great tunes are attributed to him, though probably more than he actually wrote...
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