How many metres is a gez?

4 posts2005live thread

SteppenreiterThu Dec 22, 2005 4:32 pm

In Murats HP I found this list of far distant shooting high scores:

Miralem Ahmed A?a 1271,5 gez (839,18 m)
Bursal? ?uca 1243,5 gez (820,71 m)
Tozkoparan ?skender 1279 gez (844,14 m)
Parpol H?seyin Efendi 1207 gez (796,62 m)
?ullu Ferruh 1223 gez (807,18 m)
Lenduha Cafer 1209,5 gez (798,27 m)

I wonder now about the calculation rate between gez and metre. In the articels of Hein, ("Bogensport bei den Osmanen") I read that there has been an elder mesurement rate of 1.07m per gez. And that at least Toz Koparans shoot has been more than 1300m far.

Can this be true?

Adam KarpowiczThu Dec 22, 2005 4:42 pm

Murat's calculations are correct - gez is 0.66m (66cm).

Accrding to a book by Inalcik however, gez is 68cm.

Adam

BedeThu Dec 22, 2005 9:40 pm

I agree with Adam, the gez was a measurement with more than one value depending on time and place. When it is used in Osmanli flight distances, it is generally 66 cm, roughly the same as what was called an arshin.

Due to its possible use as the name of a type of arrow, in other contexts it could have a greater value, which might explain Hein's comment. Weights and measures are always difficult in old texts and translators generally take a lot of care to get them correct.

Murat ?zveriMon Jan 16, 2006 3:05 pm

The metric correspondent of gez has changed in time. Even the old Turkish flight archers has faced some problems and had to correct and update the previous records because of it. Old timers used approximations like "foot", "finger" and even "arrow" to measure distances. I think in English clout shooting "bowlength" was used too. Gez is 66 to 68 cm which is approximately the mean arrow length for Turkish flight arrows.