Khanjar

The khanjar is a traditional dagger of the Sultanate of Oman, with a short, curved blade shaped like the letter J. Its exact origin is unknown, but rock carvings of the dagger have been found on gravestones in Oman's Ru'us al Jibal region believed to predate the late 1700s, and a Dutch explorer recorded a similar dagger during a visit to Muscat in 1672. Fine examples are mounted in gold or silver with handles of rhinoceros horn or ivory, while everyday versions use brass, copper, wood or plastic, and a single dagger can take from three weeks to several months to make. Once a fighting weapon, it is worn today mainly as a ceremonial symbol of manhood, power and authority, and it appears on Omani currency and government buildings.