The concept of Mesopotamian music culture encompasses a significantly broader scope than a mere geographical region, as it encompasses the cultural values of numerous tribal groups. The earliest evidence of musical activity in Mesopotamia has been traced to wall reliefs, tablets, royal tombs, written documents, and various reliefs from the Sumerian and Akkadian civilisations. The images of musical instruments engraved on the tombs are historically important clues in terms of music, the use of instruments and musicians. This study investigates the development and use of the flute instrument in the context of Mesopotamian music culture, with a particular focus on the Sumerian and Akkadian civilisations. Through a comprehensive review of written and visual sources, this study sheds light on the role of the flute in these ancient societies. The present study adopted a literature review approach, one of the systematic review designs among qualitative research methods, for data collection and analysis. The analysis of the data obtained from the research revealed that in the Sumerian civilisation, flutes were given names such as tı.gı, gı.gíd ka.gı, na, malīl, gıš.har.har tig, tiggi, nabu, nabubu. In addition, it was observed that flutes were crafted from materials such as bone, wood, reed, copper, bronze and silver. In the Akkadian civilisation, flutes with names such as tigû, qanu, ebbubu, halilu, gıš.har.har, nabu, sassannu, imbubu, sul-pu, halhallatu, gı.gíd, and flutes made of bone, wood, reed and metal were found. It was also observed that these instruments were used in religious ceremonies, rituals in daily life and as an element of entertainment in both civilizations.

Keywords: Civilization, Mesopotamia, flute, Sumerians, Accad