Kudum musical instrument is one of the most important percussion instruments of Classical Turkish Music, whose origin is Anatolia. Kudum is one of the main instruments of Mevlevi music, along with the ney, rebap, and halile. In the past, this musical instrument was usually played in religious ceremonies, especially in mehter music, where it was very important. The history of the Kudum musical instrument is based on the Mevlevi culture. Kudum was first used by the Mevlevi to be played in religious ceremonies and later developed. Kudum took its place in Turkish Classical Music towards the 20th century. Kudum musical instrument is used especially in Turkish Classical Music and Sufi Music.
It is formed by stretching camel or goat skin on two separate bowl-shaped bodies of different sizes, placed side by side. It is played with soft or medium-soft wooden sticks called zahme. The two bowls that make up the body are made of forged copper or wood. The small drums in the structure of the kudum have a diameter of around 28–30 centimeters and a height of around 16 centimeters. These drums narrow downward and resemble a hemispherical shape. The reason why the sizes of the two bowls are different from each other is to obtain a different timbre during performance. Under the body, hollow cylinders called simit are placed in order to prevent the kudum from changing its timbre by contacting the ground and to give the player an inclination to facilitate the performance. The metal body of the Kudum is usually covered with leather, and high-pitched sounds are prevented.