KATTARA QUESTION

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Iain

That's a Manding/Mandingo sword - not a kattara. Personally I'm not convinced there's much of a link between the two types, other than using similar trade blades and local copies. The hilt type is simple enough to occur without influence.

Its Mandingo for sure. Its not Omani but as for the influence there isnt enough evidence to not link it to the Kattara design. Personally I think it is very influencial~ my arguement based on Zanzibar which was seized by Oman in 1632 (2 years after they threw the Portuguese out of Oman) being a conduit for weapons from and for Africa the Yemen and Oman etc. My point being that the Omani Kattara didn't exist until that time(or did it?) and the Omani Sword was a short stiff blade with a spiked Islamic Dome shaped Hilt with turned down quillons that I argue could date back to the 8th Century A.D. when Oman adopted Ibathi Islam.