Swords are exhibited in the Museum of Seljuk Hisart,tr

Beyond the Steel: A Forensic Quest for the Lost Seljuk Swords

Title: The Seljuk Swords of the Hisart Museum (Hisart Müzesinde Sergilenen Selçuklu Kılıçları)
Author: Ugur YOUNG (Scientific Coordinator & Principal Investigator)
Publication: V. International Turkic Art, History and Folklore Congress / Art Activities, (April,en 13-16, 2016, Komrat/Moldova), In Honour of Prof. Dr. Yusuf Küçükdağ, pp. 85-95.
Year: 2016

Technical Art History in the Service of Authenticity

Following a prestigious invitation from the Hisart Live History and Diorama Museum, I led a multidisciplinary research team to investigate one of the most intriguing mysteries in Turkish military history: the existence and authenticity of Seljuk-era swords.

As the Scientific Coordinator of this project, I positioned this research at the intersection of Technical Art History—bridging the gap between laboratory diagnostics, archival records, and stylistic analysis. The primary strategy of this initial publication was to present the preliminary findings to an international jury of art historians and experts in Turkic art. By creating this scientific dialogue, we aimed to gather critical peer feedback to refine our forensic methodology before announcing the final results regarding the artifacts’ authenticity.

Key Highlights & Impact:

Scientific Coordination: Orchestrating a comprehensive research program involving typological documentation, metallurgical interrogation, and historical cross-referencing.

The Problem of Rarity: Addressing the skepticism surrounding Seljuk swords—which are notably absent from major global museum collections—through rigorous forensic scrutiny.

Methodological Synthesis: Integrating physical measurements (length, weight, balance) with high-resolution documentation of monograms (such as the double-headed eagle and Kayı symbols).

Strategic Consensus: Successfully utilizing the international congress platform to establish a feedback loop with art historians, ensuring the subsequent authenticity findings were grounded in a broad academic consensus.

“This investigation marks the critical intersection where laboratory analysis meets archival research to redefine the material history of the Seljuks”

Station

Teen, The. (2016). “The Seljuk Swords of the Hisart Museum” (Swords are exhibited in the Museum of Seljuk Hisart,tr). Proceedings of the V. International Turkic Art, History and Folklore Congress / Art Activities, (April,en 13-16, 2016, Comrat State University, Moldova), pp. 85-95.

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