The roots of traditional music in Turkey span across centuries to a time when the Seljuk Turks migrated to Anatolia and Persia in the 11th century and contains elements of both Turkic and pre-Turkic influences. Much of its modern popular music can trace its roots to the emergence in the early 1930s drive for Westernization.
Front façade of Atatürk Cultural Center after completion. The main opera building in Istanbul
Female musical players. Ottoman miniature painting, 18th century.
Surname-i Vebbi (fol. 172a), showing military band.
CSO Ada Ankara serves as Presidential Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall in the capital
Zills or zils, also called finger cymbals, are small metallic cymbals used in belly dancing and similar performances. They are called sāgāt in Egypt. They are similar to Tibetan tingsha bells. In Western music, several pairs can be set in a frame to make a tambourine.
4th century A.D. relief of Greek dancer with cymbals. Roman artwork from Mildenhall Treasure. Modern dancers use varieties of zills, finger cymbals or castanets.
Dancing girl playing Zills from Qajar Era.