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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2006 3:58:18 GMT
Are there any people interested in Middle eastern swords?
When was the typical scimitar design used? was it in Persia? I've read somewhere that straight double edged swords were used in the middle east by Arabs before the introduction of the scimitar.
How about the Sinbad type of scimitars? how historically accurate are they? how did they perform as a weapon?
These are only a few of the questions/topics I have on these weapons...
What would you guys think of creating a mid east sword forum if there is enough interest? Paul, Would that be doable? after all, there is a great historical significance to these swords that impressed the Europeans so much during the crusades and introduced them to the Damascus steel blade that "was said to be able to cut a piece of silk in half as it fell to the ground, as well as being able to chop through normal blades, or even rock, without losing its sharp edge" (from Wikipedia & other sources)
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2006 19:09:56 GMT
i am pretty interested in middle eastern swords. i would like to see a functional remake of an crusade scimitar, and maybe there are some weapons that are used in crav maga that would be cool.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2006 20:56:35 GMT
I once saw a picture of a very interesting Byzantine sword. It had a European cruciform hilt and an arabian blade. I wish I saved the picture. It seemed like a Euro-Arabian hybrid. I have a great interest in Byzantine history and I would like to collect more info on such weapons.
For those not familiar, Byzantium had its Capital in Constantinopol which is modern day Istambul in Turkey. At its hight it included all of Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, Palensine, Syria, Egypt. From 500 bc to 1453 it slowly retracted so that consited only of Constantinopol, Queen of Cities, itself. When the Crsaders spoke of taking back the holy lands this is what they ment. Emporer Alexis I had apealed to the Pope for help. Byzantium inherited Egypt and Syria from the Roman Empire. The Byzantine considered themselves Romans right up until 1453 when they were sacked.
Constantinopol resisted 22 sieges with its ring of three walls. It was sacked in 1204 by the 4th crusade with the help of insiders durring a cival war. After 50 years of the initial sack, the city rebeled against the catholic monarchy established by the 4th crusade. It was then again sacked by the Ottomans in 1453 after lost a majority of its population to the Black Death a century earlier. At its hight Constantinopol had over half a million people, by 1453 it was down to about 60,000. 10,000 men defended the walls valiently against over 100,000 Ottomans but they finally surcame to cannon fire. This was the event that prooved gunpoweder was the future of warfare.
It said that when the Ottomans breached the walls, the last emporer, Constanine Paleogos and two of his close kin, raised their swords in the air and charged the enemy. I would like to know what swords they held.
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Post by ShooterMike on Dec 22, 2006 1:49:36 GMT
I would be interested in an area on middle eastern swords. I don't know a lot about them bu would like to know more.
I remember reading somewhere recently that the curved blades were of fairly recent design, becoming popular in the 1600s maybe? But definitely after the time of the crusades.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2006 5:00:37 GMT
... It said that when the Ottomans breached the walls, the last emporer, Constanine Paleogos and two of his close kin, raised their swords in the air and charged the enemy. I would like to know what swords they held. I wonder what weapons they were killed by Shootermike, I heard the same thing you have about the scimitars not being used during the crusades, but 1600 seems off. I'll research that when I get some time, unless someone who already knows can enlighten us
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