A large thong-braced, double-headed cylindrical drum of Turkey and many other countries of the Middle East and South-eastern Europe where it is known by related names, including daouli (Greece), daule (Albania), dohol (Iran), dhol (Armenia), doli (Georgia) and tabl turkī (Arab countries). The Turkish davul is made by stitching together the ends of a large wooden plank (which is steamed or put through a wood-bending mangle) and fitting strengthening hoops internally at both ends of the cylinder. The two heads, one thicker than the other, are usually made from sheepskin or goatskin and are tensioned to each other by a variety of zigzag lacings around the cylinder. Two beaters are used: one large heavy crook- or club-shaped beater called tokmak (‘mallet’) or çomak (‘stick’) and another, smaller and lighter, called çubuk (‘shoot’ or ‘twig’). When played the drum is suspended over the left shoulder and the heavier beater used on the thicker head, generally to mark the strong beat or beats. The davul is nearly always played with one or more zurna (oboe) for outdoor dancing and processional music: hence the term davul-zurna, standing for both the instrumental ensemble and its repertory (see Turkey, §VI, 1(iii)). Sometimes davul alone is used to accompany the voice; it is also used as a signalling instrument, for example to announce the beginning and end of each period of fasting during Ramadan. Picken described and discussed Turkish types in detail and mentioned its ceremonial use at cirit (a traditional equestrian game), horse racing and wrestling – reminders of its historical association with Islamic chivalry. In discussing its origins he related davul to the 8th-century Akkadian term tabālu, but added that the main constructional features of the davul were known in South Asia 1500 years before the first records of its use in the eastern Mediterranean (14th century). He concluded that the type evolved some time after the earliest migration of Indo-European speakers into Western Asia. Variants of the name are used for a variety of barrel-shaped double-headed laced drums in many parts of South Asia, including Dhol (widespread, also including Afghanistan), dhol or duhl (Pakistan), daula (Sri Lanka) and Dholak (in India and Pakistan). The Turkish davul also migrated westwards as far as Spain where it is known as atabal or atabal turqués.
J.P. Reiche: ‘Stilelement südtürkischer Davul-Zurna-Stücke’, Jb für musikalische Volks- und Völkerkunde, v (1970), 9–54
S. Marcuse: A Survey of Musical Instruments (Newton Abbot and New York, 1975)
L. Picken: Folk Musical Instruments of Turkey (London, 1975)