yataghan translation

[Dom]

Originally Posted by dandi

I would like to show you here some of my possessions - yataghans, found in villages near my home town - one of the centers of gun craft and trade in the past.
The yataghans are not luxory made, but they are made for ordinary people to use them in battles.
I would like also to show you some knives made in Bulgaria in the same period named ''karakulak'' and ''akulak'' /which means black and white ear/.

Hi "dandi"
"villages near your home town" ... may be ... you could be more explicit
because Bulgaria it's a large country
each year, or nearly, I'm crossing Bulgaria, from Serbia, to Turkey on my way to ... Cairo
I have to confess that we never made a stop over in Bulgaria, the language barrier it's a brake ...
we are fluent in 3 languages; French, English and Arabic, but no one Slave language ... nobody 's perfect .. lol

I learned at least something today, because, I wasn't have ideas about ''karakulak'' and ''akulak''
your collection is very attractive, and intructive
concerning weapons of high origins, everybody, included myself, haven't a "Topkapi" quality
my yatagans as well as yours, was with people of average extraction, don't be shy
here attached, pictures for my 3 yatagans
best regards

à +

Dom

[dandi]

Hi Dom,
The yataghans and the karakulaks that I presented here are from the region of my home town Sliven and the villages near it, but they are also wide spread all over Bulgaria, especially in the mountains.
Sliven was one of the largest industrial centers in Bulgaria in past. Here in Sliven, have been manufactured the famous shishane of Sliven and boiliya-decorated with pearls and brass elements and horns from buffalos.The have the famous flint mechanism.If you are interested I may show you here some examples of such rifels from my collection.
The yataghans that you showed me here from your collection are very beautiful and of high quality. I wish I could have any like yours!
According to the stands on which the yataghans are exposed I see we use the same kind of stands. So I would like to show you my stand with karakulaks and a set of arnaut pistols.There is a stamp under the barrel of one of them. So may be anybody may help me and comment this stamp.
Best wishes,
Dandi

[dandi]

karakulaks

[Zifir]

Hi Dandi,

A supplement to Dom's reading:

Amal Mustafa Sahib Molla Emin (Amin) - Molla means religious scholar (usually in a small village / or a minor scholar in a city, speaking of course in 19th century context) I think the date is 1273 as Dom suggested it.

And yes, please I would like very much to see examples of famous Sliven (İslimiye in Ottoman Turkish) şişhanes.

Best,

[Dom]

Originally Posted by Zifir

And yes, please I would like very much to see examples of famous Sliven (İslimiye in Ottoman Turkish) şişhanes.

Hi Zifir and Dandi
Dandi, I look at your beautiful "rattail pistols", and we try to see/read something on barrel stamp ... hopeless

I realized my total lack of knowledge about the "shishane or boyle", and Bulgarian weapons in general
also, I bought a book "Weaponry of the past" written by Nikola Daskalov and Vyara Kovacheva, and edited at "Sofia Press"
the book began be rare, and I found it in England, I could received it under 10/15 days
I got the references here on our site

Zifir, could it be ... forecast at your convenience, a trip together to "Sirven" and around (with my car)
that seems not too far from Istanbul, could be a good program, and nice opportunity, may be to discover something ?

all the best my friends

à +

Dom

[dandi]

Hi Dom and Zifir,
It will be my pleasure to see you here in Bulgaria. I often travel to Istanbul. It takes 3 hours by car from Sliven to Istanbul. So, Zifir may visit Bulgaria to discover something It will be my honour to be my guest.
I will post here photos of Sliven shishane, but not right now, because I have some business engagements here. Please, excuse me for this delay.
I will post my address to Zifir in a personal message.
Take care!
Wish you well and have a good night, friends!
Dandi

[dandi]

Hi Zifir,
Unfortunatelly it seems that I am not allowed to post you a personal message here, I do not know why. So I do not know in what way I may post you my personal data = I mean my address.
According to Dom's posting that he bought a book about Bulgarian weaponry - here I post a photo of the book that is best for him. It's name is Bulgarian weaponry in the past written by Todor Kozlovski.
Best regards,
Dandi

[Dom]

Originally Posted by dandi

According to Dom's posting that he bought a book about Bulgarian weaponry - here I post a photo of the book that is best for him. It's name is Bulgarian weaponry in the past written by Todor Kozlovski.
Best regards,
Dandi

Hi Dandi
thanks to care about me, but I have to inform you, that I'm a collector for "only" edged weapons
in the past, long time ago, I was having a collection for pistols/guns , but due to French regulations,
I got rid of that collection, and now I'm (small) collector for Islamic's edged weapons, even,
if I still yet be interested by pistols/revolvers/guns ... but I am careful not to be too much tempted
I limited myself, to edged weapons from the countries, where I worked, or visited,
and no more than two items per kind, and I try and stick to that rule
the book that I ordered, seems to me, more focused on edged weapons, hope so that I will be not too wrong

à +

Dom

[dandi]

Hi Dom and Zifir,
I hope you had nice summer holidays.
I expected Zifir to visit me, but probably you haven't traveled trough Bulgaria.
I offer you below pictures of a sword, which belongs to my close friend and a colleague, to be discussed and to help me translate the inscription on it.
In my oppinion, as I look at the yataghan, it was made in Western Blkans, or more exactly, center Epirus. But I believe you will give me more precise translation. Looking forward to your translation.
Thank you very much in advance!
Best regards,
Dandi