SAUDI ARABIA: The art of traditional sword and dagger making continues to thrive in Saudi Arabia

Record ID: 188389

  • Title: SAUDI ARABIA: The art of traditional sword and dagger making continues to thrive in Saudi Arabia
  • Date: 2nd March 2010
  • Summary: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (FILE) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) MEMBERS OF THE SAUDI ROYAL FAMILY WITH KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDUL AZIZ, DANCING THE ARDAH (SAUDI TRADITIONAL DANCE) KING ABDALLAH DANCING THE ARDAH WITH SWORD IN HIS HAND SURROUNDED BY MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY 15 MORE OF KING ABDALLAH DANCING WITH SWORD MORE OF THE KING SHOWING A DAGGER ATTACHED TO HIS BELT KHAMEES
  • Embargoed: 17th March 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Saudi Arabia
  • Country: Saudi Arabia
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
  • Reuters ID: LVA6107GA399J85DJ4CW15Q6SIQE
  • Story Text: The art of making daggers and swords in Saudi Arabia is a centuries-old tradition, which has been passed down from generation to generation.
    In a workshop in Khamees Mushait in the south of the country close to the borders with Yemen, craftsmen make the bladed weapons using wood and sometimes precious metals like silver. Due to the ornate nature of the end product, both daggers and swords can be sold for thousands of dollars.
    Sameer Muhana owns a workshop which specialises in making the traditional daggers and swords used by many tribes in Saudi Arabia. Muhana said swords are used during traditional dances at weddings and ceremonial receptions.
    ''It (the sword) is light and flexible and you can enjoy carrying it and using it for the Ardah and Alardhat (traditional dances) or during the reception of the Crown Prince or the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (the king of Saudi Arabia). This sword is made completely from silver and it's worth between four thousand to five thousand Saudi riyals (1,000 - 1,300 U.S. dollars),'' Said Muhana, showing off a silver blade which had just been made in his workshop.
    The daggers produced in the country are known as Jambiya, meaning sidearm, as they are traditionally worn attached to a belt around a man's waist.
    Muhana explained the tradition of wearing daggers on one's side as being a custom that has been passed down from one generation to the next.
    ''They are called 'Jambiya' (sidearms), because during the time of our forefathers, they wore the dagger to their sides, on the man's side. They wore them to protect themselves from wild animals. Their sons, and sons of their sons, still wear them. It's a traditional, they wear them all the time at weddings and parties, and they also boast about them,'' he said.
    Many of the weapons made in the workshops are used for decorative and ceremonial purposes, especially as some of them are crafted from precious metals like gold and silver.
    The swords created in the workshops are used during the traditional Ardah dance, also known as the warrior dance.
    The dance is one of the country's traditional dances, with it's roots in pre-Islamic times. It was traditionally performed before warriors would meet their enemies in the battlefield. But now the dance is performed at festive gatherings and to welcome officials and other officials from abroad.
    The dance is also performed at festivals, such as Saudi Arabia's National Festival for Heritage and Culture at which the country's King Abudulla was filmed clutching a sword in his hand performing the dance.
    The sword is also a symbol of the country, with two swords appearing on the Saudi Arabian flag.
    The dagger is also used by tribesmen going about their daily duties.
    "We carry this dagger because we have cargo in our truck. We have sheep, and if any are about to die, we can slaughter them, or we use it to cut rope. We mainly use the dagger on the sheep.'' Despite the fact that both the dagger and swords are both functioning weapons, it is legal to carry them in public places in Saudi Arabia.
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