A karabela was a type of Polish sabre (szabla) popular in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Polish fencer Wojciech Zabłocki defines a karabela as a decorated sabre with the handle stylized as the head of a bird and an open crossguard.^[1]

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The word "karabela" does not have well-established etymology, and different versions are suggested.^[2]

• Zygmunt Gloger suggests derivation from the name of the Iraqi city of Karbala, known for trade of this kind of sabres.^[3]

• Another suggestion is that the name originated in Turkey, associated with the Turkish town Karabel, in the vicinity of İzmir, or the Karabel district in Crimea.^[4]

• Kilij