Museum

Kobani Martyrs Memorial Museum, Syria

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The northern Syrian border town of Kobani weighs heavily on the hearts of Kurdish people from northeastern Syria. Hymns, poems, and tales of great bravery and sacrifice all resonate from the brutal urban combat that occurred there between YPG/YPJ fighters and so-called Islamic State forces in 2014, when the Takfiri movement was at its height of power and control. It was the bloody struggle for Kobani that kindled the fire of Kurdish identity that finds itself today still fighting for survival against Turkish and local forces alike.

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Assorted Firearms Observed in Oman

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This guest post was written by Christopher Cowan, an avid reader and supporter of Silah Report.

In reviewing material for an article about the Martini-pattern rifles I came across several other pictures I took unrelated to the subject of that article. These include several photos taken at the National Museum as well as Nizwa Sooq.

A Chinese .177 caliber BAM-3 airgun on display for sale at Nizwa Sooq. Possibly a Chinese airgunPhoto by author.
Zastava M48-pattern rifle on display in Nizwa Sooq. Note the non-corresponding Martini-Henry cartridge belt. Photo by author.
A Turkish Mauser Rifle Model 1887 originally produced in Germany in 1890 or 1891. Rifle features Turkish production markings and year according to museum description. Photo by author.
A Winchester 1876 Deluxe Model gifted by President Chester Allen Arthur to Sultan Sayyid Turki bin Said al-Busaied, Sultan of Muscat and Oman. According to the museum description, “the rifle features a nickel frame engraved with scenes of hunting and wild animals.” The rifle also features a walnut stock affixed with a brass label which reads “Presented by Chester A. Arthur President of the United States to His Majesty SEYUD TOORKEE EN SEYOUD Sultan of Muscat in token of friendship.” Photo by author.
Assorted patterns of matchlock muskets. Photo by author.