[AhmedH]

Originally Posted by ALEX

Hi Ahmed,
I agree with you, this sword has some enigma, It is magical indeed. I can see why it gives you nightmares It also impressed me the most out of everything I saw in Topkapi.
What I meant by ceremonial is the size being indicative of "status", i.e. attribute of beauty and power, not necessarily the superiority as a weapon. Just like some old Islamic dealers in the Middle East still measure the blade's value in finger-width exclusively in terms of it's aesthetics! So what I meant is that we'll never know the real reason for making these large blades. And it is quite irrelevant in this case. It has to be something that makes everyone not believe, but convinced that it is what is claimed to be. Hopefully this "something" will surface as a result of your work and collaboration of others. You have a great start. Good luck with your research.

Dear Alex,

Thank you very much for this. I look forward to your reviews and comments, Sir!

As ever,
Ahmed Helal Hussein