Turban helmet

Turban helmets are a kind of large Turkish helmet known for its large bulbous shape and the flutings. The name turban helmet is derived from the fact that they were worn over the turban. Turban helmets are found in the region where the Ottoman Turkey reigned.

Form and evolution
The earliest of the Turkish helmets were conical with plate, mail or padded neck guards. From the mid-14th to at least the early 16th century the helmets grew in size, becoming very large and were often elaborately fluted and decorated. These large Ottoman helmets were worn by warriors over a cloth turbans, and so they were called "turban helmets". Turban helmets are known for its large bulbous shape. Some examples of turban helmets were shaped with spiraling flutings, supposedly imitating the folds of a turban. This distinctive shape was forged from a single plate of iron or steel that tapers to a separately applied finial. The rim of the helmet is shaped over the eyes, and then fitted around the edge with pierced lugs or vervelles where the aventail or mail defense is secured by a cord. The aventail, a flexible metal mail, extends downward to protect the face and the neck. The aventail is usually fixed with a lead seal which is stamped with the mark used in the Ottoman arsenals. An adjustable nasal bar is fastened with a bracket to the front side of the helmet, between the eyes-openings. The design is used to protect the warrior's nose.

Decoration
In Ottoman Turkey, certain dervish groups wore turbans wound with a prescribed number of folds to represent an important mystical number. It is likely that turban helmets were regarded not only as an armor but also as a kind of religious insignia. The religious symbolism that is prevalent in a turban helmet was designed to indicate that the soldiers wearing them were involved in a Holy War. Turban helmets were intended as a heavy-cavalries uniform; they were large-sized and worn together with the mail and plate armor shirt or jacket. Museum displays of these artifacts show matching decoration, which further indicates that they were worn together.

Because of the religious nature of the turban helmets, they are often inscribed with Arabic calligraphy to symbolizes the words of God as taken from the Quran. More often is that the inscription glorifies the ruler whom the warrior is loyal to. Inscribed words of God from the Quran supposedly invoke the protective power of the God to the wearer. Other inscriptions were written as advice on how to gain virtue. During the time when the turban helmets were no longer in use, they became objects of pride that were traded and displayed to show wealth. Some turban helmets have its inscription inlaid with precious metal e.g. gold and silver, with decorations of arabesque motifs around the edges.