Between the alleys of the old city and along the edges of "Hammam Street," where the aroma of plain Arabic coffee lingers, the sound of pebbles clicking as they move from one pit to another on a wooden board rises, a scene in which Jordanian memory itself seems to be playing "Al-Manqala."
اضافة اعلان
This popular game, passed down through generations, embodies a story of encounter, a school of patience and wit, and a social ritual that brings hearts together before minds, in the streets and old cafés of the city.
Al-Manqala is considered one of the oldest folk games in the city of Salt, carrying deep historical and heritage significance that has given it a special place among its people. To this day, it still brings players together daily in the city center, especially the elderly, aged between 60 and 90, for fierce competitions to win.
Rules and How It's Played
In its simple form, Al-Manqala consists of a rectangular wooden board with 14 pits or "holes," divided equally into two parallel rows of seven pits per player. The game uses 98 pebbles or small stones, distributed seven per pit at the start of each round.
On the field of competition, two players move the pebbles between the pits with precise calculations and carefully studied strategies, aiming to collect as many pebbles as possible and seize their opponent's stones.
At first glance, Al-Manqala may seem like a simple game of moving pebbles from one pit to another, but sitting down to play reveals something different: it's a game that demands calculation and careful thought about the next move.
A Game That Requires Thought and Intelligence
In the town square, players gather, their hands moving over the wooden board, absorbed in the details of the game, a scene reflecting a long relationship with it that has accompanied them since childhood, having learned it from their fathers and grandfathers.
"We've spent a lifetime playing it," one player summed up, describing years spent with Al-Manqala before passing it on to a new generation of his family.
He doesn't see the game as merely about collecting pebbles, even though the round's winner is whoever gathers the most. "True, the winner is the one who collects the most stones," he says, "but it takes thinking and intelligence." Every move determines what a player can collect later, making strategic thinking essential to the game.
A Game That Stimulates Memory and Unites Generations
Over the years, Al-Manqala has become an enjoyable way to fill free time, woven into the lives and memories of its players, learned from earlier generations and passed on in turn to children and grandchildren.
According to Dr. Ibrahim Al-Masri, former director of Balqa tourism, the game's roots are Nabataean, dating back more than two thousand years, though it settled in the heart of Salt around 400 years ago and continues to be played daily, a living witness to the city's identity and cultural heritage.
Al-Masri notes that beyond being a pastime, Al-Manqala carries several intellectual and mental benefits: it helps stimulate memory, sharpens computational ability, and develops thinking and creative skills in players. He also emphasizes its role in strengthening social bonds and fostering connection between generations, helping preserve this heritage.
Introducing Visitors to the Game and Protecting Its Legacy
Al-Masri has taken it upon himself to introduce visitors to Salt to the game, sitting with them and patiently teaching them how to move the pebbles, revealing its secrets so they grow more passionate about it, individual, interactive efforts he says serve as a lifeline keeping Al-Manqala alive and protecting it from disappearing.
Dr. Al-Masri also thanked the Ministry of Culture for its efforts in preparing a nomination file for Al-Manqala to be added to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, considering it a human creation worth preserving, hoping for its official inscription so the sound of its pebbles continues to echo across generations.
The significance of Al-Manqala goes beyond its history and rules; it tells a broader social story behind the board where two players sit facing each other.
Al-Manqala Introduces Children to Their Grandparents' Way of Life
Sociologist Dr. Hussein Al-Khazai points to the importance of heritage games once played by parents and grandparents in preserving and passing on tradition between generations.
These are simple, inexpensive games that offer a way to spend free time and enjoy friendly competition, while strengthening social ties, especially since family visits used to gather relatives around them.
Al-Khazai believes the value of these games today lies in introducing children to what their parents and grandparents once did in their free time, particularly amid the widespread popularity of electronic games among the new generation.
At the end of each game, once a winner is declared and the pebbles return to their places on the board, the two players prepare for another round. The scene appears simple in its details, yet it carries the memories of fathers and grandfathers who once sat around the very same board, learned its rules, and competed to collect its pebbles, while it still waits for a new generation to sit before it and make the first move.
Al-Manqala remains part of Salt's memory and the stories of its people, its pebbles still echoing in the city's squares and the corners of its old cafés, as if this ancient social tradition insists on standing firm against the passage of time and modernity, so that Al-Manqala, the game of Salt, never grows old.
