Mangala (game)
Encyclopedia
Mangala is a traditional Turkish mancala
game. It is strictly related to the mancala games Iraq
i Halusa
, Palestinian Al-manqala
, and Baltic German Bohnenspiel. There is also another game referred as Mangala played by the Bedouin
in Egypt
, and Sudan
, but it has quite different rules.
The game can be traced in Ottoman miniature
s starting from XVI. century. According to the Turkish ethnologue Metin And, the "mancala" of The Arabian Nights (fifteenth night) could be directly related to this game. It was first described in 1694 by British
orientalist
Thomas Hyde
. The game was also referred as Mangola in some later western works.
The classic mangala game is still known in Turkey
, but mangala played in Gaziantep
, in Southern Anatolia
, is more similar to Syria
n mancala La'b Madjnuni
(Crazy Game). There are many other mancala variants played in Anatolia
: Pıç in Erzurum
, Altıev in Safranbolu
, Meneli Taş in Ilgın, etc.
Mancala
Mancala is a family of board games played around the world, sometimes called "sowing" games, or "count-and-capture" games, which describes the game-play. Mancala games play a role in many African and some Asian societies comparable to that of chess in the West, or the game of Go in Eastern Asia...
game. It is strictly related to the mancala games Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i Halusa
Halusa
Halusa, or Halusi , is a traditional mancala game which is similar to Turkish mangala. It is played in Iraq.- Rules :The game has the same rules as mangala except the following:...
, Palestinian Al-manqala
Al-manqala
Al-manqala is a traditional mancala game which is very similar to Turkish mangala. It is played in Palestine.- Rules :The game has the same rules as mangala except the following:*The game is played on a 2x7 board with seven pieces in each hole initially....
, and Baltic German Bohnenspiel. There is also another game referred as Mangala played by the Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, and Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, but it has quite different rules.
The game can be traced in Ottoman miniature
Ottoman miniature
Ottoman Miniature or Turkish miniature was an art form in the Ottoman Empire, which can be linked to the Persian miniature tradition, as well as strong Chinese artistic influences. It was a part of the Ottoman Book Arts together with illumination , calligraphy , marbling paper and bookbinding...
s starting from XVI. century. According to the Turkish ethnologue Metin And, the "mancala" of The Arabian Nights (fifteenth night) could be directly related to this game. It was first described in 1694 by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
orientalist
Oriental studies
Oriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies...
Thomas Hyde
Thomas Hyde
Thomas Hyde was an English orientalist. The first use of the word dualism is attributed to him, in 1700.-Life:He was born at Billingsley, near Bridgnorth in Shropshire, on 29 June 1636...
. The game was also referred as Mangola in some later western works.
The classic mangala game is still known in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, but mangala played in Gaziantep
Gaziantep
Gaziantep , Ottoman Turkish: Ayintab) previously and still informally called Antep; ʻayn tāb is a city in southeast Turkey and amongst the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The city is located 185 kilometres northeast of Adana and 127 kilometres by road north of Aleppo, Syria...
, in Southern Anatolia
Southeastern Anatolia Region
Southeastern Anatolia Region is one of Turkey's seven census-defined geographical regions . It is bordered by the Mediterranean Region to the west, the Eastern Anatolia Region to the north, Syria to the south, and Iraq to the southeast.-Provinces:...
, is more similar to Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n mancala La'b Madjnuni
La'b Madjnuni
La'b Madjnuni, also known as Crazy Game, is a mancala game played in Damascus in the late 19th century.- Rules :*The La'b Madjnuni board has seven pits, called bute, "houses," in front of each player....
(Crazy Game). There are many other mancala variants played in Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
: Pıç in Erzurum
Erzurum
Erzurum is a city in Turkey. It is the largest city, the capital of Erzurum Province. The city is situated 1757 meters above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 361,235 in the 2000 census. .Erzurum, known as "The Rock" in NATO code, served as NATO's southeastern-most air force post during the...
, Altıev in Safranbolu
Safranbolu
Safranbolu is a town and district of Karabük Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It is about two hundred kilometers north of Ankara and about a hundred kilometers south of the Black Sea coast, or more precisely about 9 kilometers north of the city of Karabük...
, Meneli Taş in Ilgın, etc.