Swords of the Prophet Muhammad

According to Muslim sources, the prophet Muhammad had a number of named swords, some of which were passed down to him from prophets and kings, and some of which he passed down to his followers. The sword pictured here, preserved in the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul, is identified as "al-Batar" the sword that David took from Goliath after defeating him. The blade of the sword is inscribed in Arabic with the names of several prophets, bears an inscription in what appears to be Nabataean, and pictures David cutting off the head of Goliath.