Researchers conclude that the “Swiss Zulfiqar” is the exact same sword gifted from the Mamluk Sultanate to the Ethiopian Amhara Kings because of a highly specific convergence of forensic testing, metallurgical fingerprinting, and a reconstructed chain of custody.
The determination relies on these key pieces of evidence linking this specific blade to Ethiopia:
Identical Metallurgical Fingerprints: The 2024 technical audit by the Swiss Safety Center AG confirmed that the Swiss Zulfiqar’s Wootz steel has a specific chemical makeup (including high vanadium and an absence of modern sulfur/phosphorus impurities) that is a “close match” to the Mamluk-era sabers currently held in the Institute of Ethiopian Studies (IES) in Addis Ababa. This suggests the Swiss blade and the known Ethiopian gift-blades shared the same royal workshop in Cairo before being dispersed.
Structural Forging Techniques: The unique bifurcated (split) tip of the Swiss Zulfiqar was proven by non-destructive testing to have been integrated during the original crucible cooling phase. This highly specific technique was also observed in other “notched” swords (Saif Bedawī) that are documented as having been sent as tributes to the Ethiopian Kings.
Physical “Over-Writing” for Diplomacy: Forensic analysis reveals the Swiss Zulfiqar is actually a 7th-century “Sacred Core” that was later professionally re-inscribed with gold inlay by Mamluk craftsmen. Archival research at the IES shows that Mamluks had a specific practice of taking ancient, sacred blades from their arsenal and restoring them with contemporary inscriptions before gifting them to the Amhara kings to signify a “renewal of friendship”.
The “Encrypted” Inscriptional Match: The specific Arabic-Persian-Turkic dialect and invocations deciphered on the blade in 2024 share a formulaic overlap with known Amhara-Mamluk diplomatic blades. The Mamluks specifically chose a sword bearing the hagiography of Ali (known as the “Lion of God”) because they knew the Christian Amhara kings would revere it as a “Solomonic” relic that mirrored their own title, the “Lion of Judah”.
A Traceable Smuggling Route: The modern chain of custody specifically tracks this sword back to Ethiopia. Historical reconstruction indicates the blade survived in the Ethiopian royal treasuries for centuries before falling into the hands of a noble in the Gondar region after the 1868 Battle of Magdala. During the civil unrest of the Derg military junta (c. 1974–1991), the sword was smuggled out of Ethiopia to Djibouti, then to Bahrain, which perfectly aligns with where the Swiss collector purchased it in a confidential sale in 2006.
