Ney

The ney is an end-blown flute made from a single section of hollow reed, among the oldest instruments still played anywhere in the world. Ancient Egyptian carvings show instruments indistinguishable from the modern ney, and it has been played continuously across the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia for thousands of years. In Persian, Arabic, and Turkish classical traditions, the ney carries the melodic voice in many ensemble settings. Its tone comes from angling the open upper end against the lips and teeth, a technique that takes years to develop and that rewards the effort with expressive depth few instruments can approach.