Sharjah24 - Reuters: In a small workshop in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, bright sparks can be seen flying as workers carefully sharpen short blades used in the making of traditional daggers.
Known as ‘Jambiya’ – from the Arabic word that means side - the curved dagger with an ornately decorated hilt has been a part of Yemeni culture for thousands of years.
Originally a tool for warriors, it is now a decorative object that denotes the status and importance of its wearer.
“There are different types of ‘Jambiyas’, including the ‘Sayfani’ (made from rhinoceros horns). There’s also the ‘Kark’ which is made from buffalo horns. And there’s the ‘Massoui’, made from Caribou horns,” said vendor, Ammar Qabs.
The most expensive of these is the Sayfani – made using now-banned rhinoceros horns – with particularly rare daggers fetching prices that can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Since the banning of trading of rhino horns, Yemenis have resorted to using other animals for the dagger handles, including deer, caribou and buffalo horns.
“They’re really great, people have really been asking for them recently,” said Qabs, referring to the buffalo horns.
Many of these daggers are seen as prized possessions, and are often passed down across generations within a family.
The value of the dagger is typically linked to how old it is, which tribe it was owned by, and what animals were used to make the handles.
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