The scimitar is a curved sword originating from Southwest Asia and the Middle East, with varieties including the Arabian saif, Persian shamshir, Turkish kilij, Indian tulwar, Moroccan nimcha, and Afghan pulwar. It dates back to 1600 BC in Egypt and has been adapted by various cultures. The scimitar is often used in fantasy worlds and associated with pirates, though this is a stereotype.
The term scimitar is a broad term encompassing all slender, curved swords of Southwest Asia and the Middle East. The name is thought to come from the Persian word shafsher meaning “lion’s claw”, due to its long, curved design. The word has been translated into many languages to end with scimitar. Varieties include Arabian saif, Persian shamshir, Turkish kilij, Indian tulwar, Moroccan nimcha and Afghan pulwar.
The scimitar sword is an ancient sword, dating back to 1600 BC from the 18th Dynasty of Egypt. Egypt used the scimitar sword, then a new technology, to dominate nearby rivals and spread their influence. The scimitar gradually spread to all regions and each culture made its own adaptation.
An Arabian saif is what most people are referring to when they use the term scimitar. The saif is double-edged, short and straight with a curved tip. Persian shamshirs are radically curved swords that arc more around the midpoint of the blade. Shamshirs have no pommel, very narrow blades, and typically don’t taper at all to the point.
The kilij is a scimitar sword used by the Turks and the Ottoman Empire, which appeared around the 15th century. The kilij is a unique type of scimitar that has a slight taper along the straight line of the blade up to the last third of the sword, when it angles sharply and gets deeper. After the First Barbary War, a bejeweled kilij was presented to the naval officer in charge, which has become a tradition in the Marine Corps. The Indian tulwar is a blade nearly identical to the shamshir, except for a wider blade. The word tulwar literally means “sword” in Hindi.
The Moroccan nimcha is a scimitar sword used in the late 18th century and is usually forged using the blades of older swords, dating back as early as the 17th century, and with blades from distant countries such as Germany. This has created a wide variety of nimchas, and almost no two are alike. The Afghan pulwar is similar in blade design to the tulwar, but the cross guard on the pulwar angles towards the blade to catch swords. Many pulwar hilts are engraved with inscriptions and ornamental designs.
The scimitar sword is used extensively in fantasy worlds. Many books and video games feature the scimitar and are usually used by exotic characters or found in Arabian-style locales. A common stereotype is that of pirates using scimitars, even though in reality they were often too brash and impatient for sword fights.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
