The earliest Kilij?

[ariel]

Another Forum ( Russian) posted pics from the Hermitage exhibition of the Treasure of the Golden Horde
This pic:
http://www.tforum.info/forum/gallery_uploads/gallery_1649_73_75609.jpg
shows 3 swords.
there are no labels on the upper straight sword ( damascus?) ot the middle one ( obviously Adygh, Polovtsian, Khazar or thereabouts).
But the lowest one has golden inscription in Arabic with the name of Khan Muhammed Uzbek ( 1311-1342).


The earliest Kilij.

[ariel]

A close-up of the straight one.
If all are 12-14th century, it means that 3 traditions coexisted. Likely, not peacefully :-)
http://www.tforum.info/forum/gallery_uploads/gallery_1649_73_74122.jpg

[G. McCormack]

These are great, Ariel. Very sexy lines on the third blade.

[ariel]

According to Yucel, there are no surviving Ottoman swords earlier than Sultan Mehmet's era ( ~15th century). Thus, we do not actually know what kind of swords Seljuk and early Ottoman Turks used. Apparently, the Hermitage had the answer all the time, but kept strangely silent.
Khan Uzbek converted the Golden Horde to Islam, and the Mongol tribe down south named itself after him: Uzbekistan.