Sabre

Turquoises and other semi-precious stones in rosette-shaped settings stud the end of the hilt, the rest of which is covered with red velvet. A wooden core covered with silver-gilt forms the sheath, its front set with turquoises in gold mounts, its back covered with reticulated decoration. Spaced along the middle of the front are engraved floral motifs and more turquoises. One side of the blade is decorated with silver inlay and fragments of a now largely illegible Turkish text: ... ela alet... ela Zulfikar ... Zulfikar (there is no other weapon than Zulfikar [the Prophet's sword]).
The sabre or scimitar, probably developed in Central Asia, was the ideal weapon for the mounted soldier. Its curved blade made it particularly good for delivering slashing blows from a galloping horse. Europeans put the superiority of Turkish cavalry down to its sabres rather than to its horsemanship.