Archery

Originating across the Asia steppe, Turkish archery stands apart from other European styles as it utilises heavily curved bows with arrows that are much shorter than those of other bow styles.

The curved bows and shorter arrows allows archers to use a shorter draw - bringing the string only to the chin - a useful technique when shooting on the move.

Unique to Turkish archers was an unusual method of aiming - when standing atop a fortification, archers would reach around behind their head to draw the string - allowing them to then aim downwards at a steep angle without exposing their body to enemy attack.

The bow

The Turkish bow is similar to other Asiatic bows in that it is a recurved composite bow, but unlike other such weapons, an unstrung Turkish bow has a very pronounced curve - enough to make it look like the letter 'C'!

This enhanced curve makes it much easier to give velocity to arrows, enhancing the force and range of each shot. However, preparing such a weapon requires an archer to put their feet on the bow and use a thick leather strap to pull the bow arms back enough to loop the string!

Thumb ring (Zihgir)

Unlike the longbow archers of western Europe, Turkish archers use their thumb to draw the string of their bows. This means the the arrow will rest on the knuckles instead of being held by the fingers - a key aspect to maintaining a steady shot when on the move, or on horseback. To protect the skin of their hands over the day, Turkish warriors use a notched ring made of metal or bone. Owning such a ring was a mark of prestige as it signified the wearer as a skilled marksman.