MaterialCulture-MamelukeSword

Hello,

First of all: what is a mameluke, mamluq, mamluke, mameluk, mameluke, mamaluke, marmeluke or memlük?


It is an Arabic word for "non-muslim slave soldiers".
These were the men who were at the beginning slaves or whose ancestors were slaves. They built the combatting military caste in many regions of this world and they became even the highest ruler of these regions (Egypt, India, Iraq and Acre). There are many Kipchak Turks among the Rulers of The Mamelukes in the history. Not only Turks but also Circassian and Balkan folks were Mamalukes, too.

They fought against Crusaders/Christians, Ottoman Turks, Mongols, Arabs and Portugese, against Napoleon, too (later he had himself a Mameluke as Bodyguard called Rüstem Riza).

Portrait of Roustam Raza, the mamluck of Napoleon

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But now to our theme:

What is a Mameluke Sword?

Wiki says: "A Mameluke sword /ˈmæməluːk/ is a cross-hilted, curved, scimitar-like sword historically derived from sabres used by Mamluk warriors of Mamluk Egypt after whom the sword is named. It is related to the swords of the Seljuq empire".

Mamuluke sword is a Turkish origined sword that was adopted by several Western militaries such as French Army, British Heavy Cavalry and U.S. Marines.



Uzunbacak Adem


Now you can look at pics with many beautiful Mameluke Swords:

Commodore William Smith at Acre -with his Mameluke Sword

Napoleon with his Mameluke Sword

British Field Marshal Sir Henry Evelyn Wood, circa 1900

Ottoman Sabres-Osmanli Kiliclari

Today's U.S. Marine Corps officers' Mameluke sword closely resembles those first worn in 1826.

Pics: Wikipedia