The Scimitar
The scimitar is a kind of medieval sword that’s distinguished by its convex curved blade. If you can picture a typical western sword, you’ll notice that it has two edges—one that cuts your opponent and another that slices your hand if you misjudge the swing. Not so with the scimitar, which only has one edge and curves outward, allowing you to use all the force of your swing to cut rather than slice yourself in half if you happen to miss.
What Types of Scimitars are There?
Scimitars are associated with Middle Eastern, South Asian, or North African cultures and have a convex curved blade. Scimitars were originally used for cutting, chopping, and slashing opponents in horse-mounted combat. Later, they were incorporated into close-combat fighting on foot and become popular among the Ottoman army of Turkey. There are two main types of scimitars: an Egyptian shamshir (left) and an Ottoman kilij (right).
When Was the Scimitar Invented?
The scimitar was invented during the Middle Ages in the Islamic Empires, where it is thought to have been adapted from a type of broadsword that became popular at the time. The scimitar spread throughout the Middle East, South Asia, and North Africa and was used by many people including Turks, Persians, Arabs, Mughals and Ottomans.
Why was the weapon made?
A scimitar is a curved sword that can be used for both slashing and thrusting. It was made to deal the most amount of damage in the shortest amount of time, which is why it has no crossguard. The weapon was primarily made to be used on horseback, but also saw use on foot when soldiers were dismounted. As times changed and armor became more common, the curved blade style began to fall out of favor as it could not pierce through armor effectively.
