Swords were the most common war tools used by humankind before firearms. States produced different shapes of swords according to their army structures. Each state had its own way of producing and using swords. Nations that had superior abilities especially in war techniques had improved themselves not only in terms of warfare but also in producing war tools. One of these nations is the Turks that have established many states throughout history and have never accepted to be under the command of another state.
The warrior nature of the Turks and the principles of not accepting to live under the command of another state forced them to fight constantly. The Turks, known by all nations for their courage, had their own war traditions. They have shown these traditions with the items and tools they used.
One of the items where they showed their battle traditions the most was undoubtedly their swords. Soldiers usually wrote a few verses from the Surah Al-Fath in the Koran on their swords in the Ottoman Empire. The sultans usually had their signature on their swords. In some examples of Islamic and Turkish swords, poems, couplets, vegetable and animal figures are seen. On some Turkish and Islamic swords, Kalima-i Tawhid was written. For Muslims, Kalima-i Tawhid is the first step to becoming a Muslim. The person who says this sentence is deemed to have accepted the existence and uniqueness of God and That Prophet Muhammad is messenger. In other words, Kalima-i Tawhid is the first condition of being a Muslim. The writing of verses from the Koran on the swords of Turks and Muslims shows that they fought not only for material interests but also for their beliefs. Therefore, the war tools used in wars are considered as sacred by both Muslims and Turks. Swords are a sign of the soldiers’ honor. Even a war that has never been used in wars has always been seen as sacred by Turks and Muslims. Because the sword is a symbol of strength and courage.
Another thing to know about Turkish swords is that they are produced by masters in a certain region. Sword masters learned to produce swords from their fathers or other relatives. In this way, the profession of producing swords has been passed down from generation to generation.
Today, swords are produced in Denizli with traditional methods. Denizli was the center where the swords of the army were produced during the Ottoman state. Sword masters used to both produce swords for the army and train their apprentices. Masters sometimes taught their boys. Thus, sword craftsmanship was passed down from generation to generation. Throughout history, swords have been made from different raw materials such as stone, wood, iron and steel. The vast majority of the latest swords used in warfare are made of steel and iron. When we look at the latest examples of Turkish swords, we see that they were made of durable steel material with superior mastery skills. The handles of the swords were usually made of animal horns or wood.