Riyadh Museum's
 

Hi,

Last Monday, I had a chance for a trip to Riyadh, and I flew there, staying three days. I took pictures of almost everything, museum inventories, ruins, antique stores, and even one sword workshop, and some pre-historic stuff. Anyway, for the sake of staying on topic of these fora, I will only post the pictures of the weapon's, and any relevent comments I recieved on them.

I. Riyadh National Museum, all these weapons were collected from within S.Arabia

A Shalfa (infantry spear) and a sword

http://img350.imageshack.us/img350/5...0185zx2.th.jpg

A Mizraag (javelin), and a Syrian sword

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/3...0197jg6.th.jpg

A Syrian sword, and a Persian trident.

http://img350.imageshack.us/img350/4...0198si0.th.jpg

Copper spear heads and a dagger found near Ha'il, 18th century

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/4...0194ll5.th.jpg

A pair of Arab Karabellas, and five mizraags

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/6...0200wn1.th.jpg

A sword, rivetted mail shirt, and a buckler, found at Dir'iyah, late 18th c

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/9...0202gl2.th.jpg

Closeup of the buckler

http://img350.imageshack.us/img350/1...0204rj4.th.jpg

A Qana (lance), this has actually had its shaft cut down, it originally was 13ft long.

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/5...0205ip2.th.jpg

Another Shalfa

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/2...0209kz2.th.jpg

Whats a Kukri doing there?

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/4...0208xq3.th.jpg

Can anyone attribute this shield to a particular region the world?

http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/6...0211za3.th.jpg

Another rivetted mail shirt

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/2...0210dm0.th.jpg

A very old club

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/1...0212sd6.th.jpg

A 'Maizar', a kilic, and a karabella, probably made somewhere near Najran as I was told

http://img323.imageshack.us/img323/7...0215aa1.th.jpg

Two Lee Enfields

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/7...0216ox2.th.jpg

A double barrel flintlock, a karabella, and a persian kilic

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/5...0217bm0.th.jpg

A Martini Henry, yemeni jambiya, and two hejazi khanjars

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/3...0220fx5.th.jpg

A small club

http://img138.imagevenue.com/loc511/..._122_511lo.JPG

A set of jambiyas

http://img143.imagevenue.com/loc502/..._122_502lo.JPG

two martini henry's

http://img126.imagevenue.com/loc590/..._122_590lo.JPG

two hejazi jambiyas

http://img163.imagevenue.com/loc346/..._122_346lo.JPG

two modified martini's, and another rifle which I cannot ID

http://img166.imagevenue.com/loc359/..._122_359lo.JPG

Muhammad Ibn Rashid's Winchesters, those mentioned by Lady Anne Blunt, the one on the left is the 12-shot. These were the first winchesters in the peninsula

http://img108.imagevenue.com/loc397/..._122_397lo.JPG

some jambiya

http://img158.imagevenue.com/loc476/..._122_476lo.JPG

A Martini Henry and a Mauser (i think)

http://img18.imagevenue.com/loc451/t..._122_451lo.JPG

II. Al-Murraba' Palace
 

This is all the weaponry I found in the old palace, it was situated in the royal guard quarters. The saifs, from that time, are not placed there because they are still in possesion and use by the royal guard today, which, being slaves, is a hereditary job.

A bedouin sword, like those found in the Sinai and Negev, a steel club, a ghaddara, and a cane

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/1...0161gh1.th.jpg

Many rifles and pistols

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/5...0162dg3.th.jpg

Im really sorry about how bad the pictures are brought out to be. They're all in 3648x2736 resolution, and are more than 3.5mb each, thanks to a 10.1 MP camera, they had to be reduced in size and quality ALOT to make them uploadable. If anyone needs some pictures in better quality, i will be glad to send them.

Dont worry, Im not finished yet, there are more covering museums, antique stores, and workshops, there are over a hundred more pics to go!

Very nice pics :) As you know the jambiyas are my favorite ;)


Lew

Thank you, there are many more to come!

Love the pics can't wait to see the rest. The Khuk is intresting, because from the photo it does not look very old. I'm sure it could tell some tales though.

I would be very interested if you could say a little more about the lances. Do they have any decoration on the blades? Could there be any similarity to this lance. The links between the Arabian peninsular weapons and East Africa are not greatly explored in any publication that I have.

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ht=metal+lance

The kukri appears to be the type (known as maar hani) used for animal sacrifice in Hindu religious ceremonies such as Durga puja/Dasein. As mross observes, it doesn't appear very old (at least from the detail visible at this low resolution) but such sacrifices are still performed at the present time. The long blade is intended to sever the head of the sacrificial animal cleanly with a single blow, an important component of Hindu sacrifice. Since Islamic sacrifice is performed by slitting the throat and jugular without severing the spinal cord or breaking the neck, I can't think of a use for this specialized ritual knife in Riyadh. Perhaps it found its way into the museum simply as an interesting ethnographic oddity? :confused:

III. Al-Masmak Fort
 

Hi,

This is the old fort, situated in the center of old Riyadh, today it serves as a museum for old weaponry, photographs, and old scrolls.

Front view

http://img43.imagevenue.com/loc472/t..._122_472lo.JPG

Abdullah Ibn Jiluwi's spear, embedded 105 years ago into the door, after he missed Ajlan by a few inches to the right.

http://img121.imagevenue.com/loc314/..._122_314lo.JPG

Names of the men who stormed al-Masmak on the dawn of 14th January 1902

http://img151.imagevenue.com/loc495/..._122_495lo.JPG

The huge door. The small trap door you see in the middle is no more than 2 feet sq. The only way one could enter is head first, thus, exposing his head to a swordsman inside.

http://img135.imagevenue.com/loc549/..._122_549lo.JPG

Another shalfa, and a migamaa' (flintlock)

http://img108.imagevenue.com/loc325/..._122_325lo.JPG

A Persian shamshir and a Syrian sword

http://img125.imagevenue.com/loc413/..._122_413lo.JPG

Persian Kilic and Syrian sword

http://img144.imagevenue.com/loc562/..._122_562lo.JPG

Closeup of the hilt and the Assadollah stamp

http://img161.imagevenue.com/loc514/..._122_514lo.JPG

A sword and flintlock resting on a camel saddle (shadd)

http://img135.imagevenue.com/loc302/..._122_302lo.JPG

Three Abu-fiteel's (matchlocks) and a pair of flintlock pistols.

http://img172.imagevenue.com/loc557/..._122_557lo.JPG

Im sure that many weapons in the museums, have been included just to fill the museum up. I do not think that they have any connection to arabia, such as this kukri, or the many Persian kilics.

Examining the pic up close shows no decoration. I would say that they had no decoration, however there is one in the post below this, that is really strange. Im not sure what it is, a javelin, or an infantry spear (too short to be a lance). It has many coins just below the head, attached via fine chains. As with all short arab blades, the lance and spear heads have a raised central ridge, common with jambiyas.

With regards to Persian tridents, Nasir Al-Sufayyan (someone Ill come to later), told me that they actually used these in a very gory way. They were used by infantry, to stab horse and camels in the abdomen, then the weilder would rotate them, and pull them out, drawing out the beast's intestine :eek:

http://img160.imagevenue.com/loc335/..._122_335lo.JPG

Another shalfa, and that strange spear, I wonder if it ceremonial? A very strange looking club/warhammer. Examining this mail shirt close, it wasnt rivetted, nor welded. Unlike the others.

http://img108.imagevenue.com/loc591/..._122_591lo.JPG

http://img125.imagevenue.com/loc329/..._122_329lo.JPG

http://img104.imagevenue.com/loc419/..._122_419lo.JPG

IV. King AbdulAziz Memorial Hall
 

Next come the pics of Ibn Saud's hall. Here, most of his personal stuff is put on for display, inluding his famed personal sword, Raqban (severer of necks). The hall also contains other swords belonging to Saudi members. I will only post the pics of the weaponry. I will point out only on what actually belonged to the king himself

The shalfa on the top was the king's

http://img15.imagevenue.com/loc530/t..._122_530lo.JPG

closeup

http://img11.imagevenue.com/loc389/t..._122_389lo.JPG

A pair of swords. The one on the bottom is decorated on the forte with stars.

http://img173.imagevenue.com/loc455/..._122_455lo.JPG

A very old sword

http://img146.imagevenue.com/loc505/..._122_505lo.JPG

Abdullah ibn Abdulrahman's sword, Ibn Saud's brother

http://img157.imagevenue.com/loc514/..._122_514lo.JPG

Another royal sword. Unfortunately, I did not capture the panel that read who it belonged to, and I cant remember that offhand. This is one of the most beautiful swords Ive seen on my trip. The combination of gold and silver, wootz blade (I can only assume), the camel hide in the center of the scabbard, and the ivory hilt are all amazing worksmanship.

http://img144.imagevenue.com/loc330/..._122_330lo.JPG

A very old banner

http://img111.imagevenue.com/loc550/..._122_550lo.JPG

King AbdulAziz's personal sword, Raqban. A wootz blade, and stunning goldwork, the best ive seen. Unlike many swords of royals around the world during his period, this sword has seen real use. Ibn Saud used it when he personally beheaded 15 of the Shammar after the battle of Bikairiya, at Kinzan, when he was mortally wounded and his brother was killed, and probably in other battles.

http://img135.imagevenue.com/loc562/..._122_562lo.JPG

Another view

http://img111.imagevenue.com/loc354/..._122_354lo.JPG


Closeup of the hilt

http://img161.imagevenue.com/loc365/..._122_365lo.JPG

I also asked the curators about the other swords, listed by De Gaury, none of them the curators knew about, only al-ajrab, which they say probably belonged to Imam Turki al-Faisal, according to literature. Ibn Saud acquired it after an extensive search in Riyadh.

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/4...0139ms1.th.jpg

I can imagine how long it took you to upload all these excellent pictures. Thanks for sharing.
Teodor

You're welcome ;)

V. al-Dir'iyyah
 

The only weapon that was found at Diriyyah was a small ghaddara. The egyptian soldiers had looted the place dry, after they had destroyed it.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...r/DSC00072.jpg


http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...r/DSC00034.jpg

What a fantastic museum. It is nice and simple, some might say old fashioned, just how I like them. Very interesting to see the shield that is most often said to be Somali. These picture are very helpful. I would not rule out a that my lance could even be Arabian. I believe it to be an infantry weapon. Thank you.

Hello Tim,

actually, the museum is one of the most beautiful and neat museums ive been to. These pictures only show the weaponry. There are MANY other things in there, from the 4th millenia BC, to the early 20th century. Things as large as gates of forts and castles, and cars, and as small as nails and coins. There are also many movies, and slideshows throughout the museum, covering every aspect, or sometimes, an interesting piece itself.

Do you have pictures of your lance?

S.Al.Anizi pictures here = http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ht=metal+lance

Hello Tim,

first of all, thanks for sharing that piece. I do not think that that spear is arab, first, Ive never seen an all metal arab spear (doesnt mean that they dont exist). Also, the spikes on the bottom end of an arab spear are usually just a simple metal stud. This one seems more sophisticated. The head however, looks like an arab spearhead.

That's along the lines I have been thinking. Africa had very rich and sophisticated lands, giving direction rather than taking influence as we tend to think of today. I feel for sure this lance is not Asia in any way. I think the answer lies in Africa or across the Red Sea and it is silly of us to think there were hard borders between the two.