Ottoman sword found by a local in Antalya

ALANYA, Antalya - Doğan News Agency

Hasan Karateke delivered the sword to the Alanya Museum Directorate. DHA photo

An Ottoman sword has been discovered in the Alanya district of the southern province of Antalya. The sword is 77.5 centimeters in length, and was spotted by a local man who was paragliding in the area of Alanya Castle. Hasan Karateke, 30, was forced to land in a rocky place due to strong winds. It was in that rocky area that he glimpsed the sword. “I thought it was a piece of iron at first. I examined it, saw that it was a sword, and took it with me. When I took it to the museum, the officials told me that it could be from the Ottoman era.” Karateke works as a pipefitter in Alanya, and has been paragliding for four years. He was rescued after his emergency landing by passing boats, together with the sword he found.

Karateke delivered the sword to officials at the Alanya Museum Directorate. “When I took it to the museum, the officials there told me that it could be from the Ottoman era.”

The director of the Alanya Museum, Seher Türkmen, said the sword could serve to help document the history of the castle. “The sword is very worn, and the shapes and writing inscribed on it are not clear. We can say that it is from the Ottoman period, but its exact age will be revealed after it is cleaned.”