karabela
A karabela was a type of Polish sabre (szabla) popular in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Polish fencer Wojciech Zabłocki defines a karabela as a decorated sabre with the handle stylized as the head of a bird and an open crossguard.
karabela

Henryk Weyssenhoff · cyfrowe.mnw.art.pl · Public domain
- Field
- saber.
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- Poland and Lithuania.
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Documentary summary
A karabela was a type of Polish sabre (szabla) popular in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Polish fencer Wojciech Zabłocki defines a karabela as a decorated sabre with the handle stylized as the head of a bird and an open crossguard.
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wikipedia incomplete · checked 25 September 2026
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gnd · 127256634X · wikidata · Q1437181 · wikipedia · Karabela
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Etymology
Etymology
The word "karabela" does not have well-established etymology, and different versions are suggested. Zygmunt Gloger suggests derivation from the name of the Iraqi city of Karbala, known for trade of this kind of sabres. Around 1670, the karabela (from Turkish karabela "black bane") evolved, based on Ottoman Janissary kilij sabres; it became the most popular sword-form in the Polish army. During 17th and 18th centuries, curved sabers that evolved from Ottoman kilij were widespread throughout Europe. Another suggestion is that the name originated from the most popular Seljuk sword named Kara-bela. Other suggestion is that its name derives from the Turkish town of Karabel, in the vicinity of İzmir, or the Karabel district in Crimea.

bron i muszkiety XVI wieczne
Robert Borkowski~ltwiki
![Tytuł: „Broń zaczepna i odporna w Polsce”. T. 1, Zbroje i części uzbrojenia Adres wydawniczy: [1875-1900]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/Bron_zaczepna_i_odporna_w_Polsce._T._1%2C_Zbroje_i_czesci_uzbrojenia_1875-1900_%2896523554%29.jpg/800px-Bron_zaczepna_i_odporna_w_Polsce._T._1%2C_Zbroje_i_czesci_uzbrojenia_1875-1900_%2896523554%29.jpg)
Tytuł: „Broń zaczepna i odporna w Polsce”. T. 1, Zbroje i części uzbrojenia Adres wydawniczy: [1875-1900]
Bolesław Starzyński · Jagiellonian Library
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Poland and Lithuania.
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karabela is associated with Poland and Lithuania.
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Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Wojciech Zabłocki, Cięcia prawdziwą szablą, , p. 12
- 2."Bulletin de la Société polonaise de linguistique", vol. 58 , p. , https://books.google.com/books?id=fwEpAQAAIAAJ&q=karabela
- 3.Zygmunt Gloger, "Księga rzeczy polskich" 1896, p. 148
- 4.Zdzisław Żygulski. An Outline History of Polish Applied Art. Interpress Publisher. 38. 1987.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 3
- Włodzimierz Kwaśniewicz "1000 słów o broni białej i uzbrojeniu ochronnym" MON, Warszawa 1981,
- PWN Leksykon: Wojsko, wojna, broń, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 2001,
- Włodzimierz Kwaśniewicz: Dzieje szabli w Polsce, Dom Wydawniczy Bellona, Warszawa 1999,
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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