Garni and Geghard Walnut Travel Backgammon Set, Two-Sided

Garni and Geghard Walnut Travel Backgammon Set, Two-Sided by Hrachya Ohanyan

Garni's temple on one cover, Geghard's church on the other, each carved in relief on a cross-hatched disc with the paving fanning out below. This is the 40 cm / 15.7″ Armenian wooden travel backgammon set made by Hrachya Ohanyan, classic outline, two-sided. Handmade in walnut, with 32 checkers, dice cut from billiard balls and a branded case.

This is the board for the family that does Garni and Geghard in one afternoon, the guide who has told the story a hundred times, and the player who wants both in a bag. On the first cover the temple stands on its stepped podium, pediment and columns cut back so each throws a shadow; turn the board and the monastery church rises with its conical dome and little belfry, block walls and arched doors, the cliff behind. Round both, cusped panels of chip-carved star lattice and rope-and-bead borders.

Inside, the points are cut in line work with a cross-hatched fill and fleur-de-lys tips, a petal wheel in a scrolled ring sits on each half, and a brass hinge stamped with the maker's mark holds the bar; closed, it is the width of a keyboard. For the car to Garni, the student's room abroad, and the player who wants two monuments that fit in a bag.

Specifications

• Size open: 40 × 40 cm / 15.7″ × 15.7″
• Size folded: 40 × 20 cm / 15.7″ × 7.9″
• Material: walnut wood, natural colour, polished
• Carving: the temple of Garni — pediment, columns and stepped podium — in relief on a cross-hatched disc on one cover; the church of Geghard Monastery — conical dome, belfry, block walls, arched doors and the cliff behind — in relief on the other; flagstones fanning below each; rope-and-bead rings round the discs; chip-carved star lattice in cusped panels; rope-and-bead borders; petal wheels in scrolled rings and cross-hatched points in line work inside
• Outline: Classic — straight edges and square corners
• Hardware: brass hinge stamped with the maker's mark, cast-bronze clasps
• Craftsmanship: entirely handmade by Hrachya Ohanyan

What's Included

• Hand-carved backgammon board, carved on both covers
• 32 beech and walnut checkers with velvet bases
• Dice set cut from billiard balls
• Branded carrying case

Why You'll Love It

• Two monuments, one board: the temple on one cover, the monastery on the other — the two stops of the classic Garni–Geghard day out, and no plain side.
• Small board, full carving: the star lattice, the rope borders and the relief buildings are cut with the same depth as on the big boards; only the footprint is smaller.
• Make it theirs: add a name or a date at checkout to mark a birthday, a retirement or years of games together.

Good to Know Before You Buy

What are the two buildings? Garni, the first-century pagan temple east of Yerevan, and Geghard, the monastery cut partly into the cliff of the Azat gorge a few kilometres up the same road — Geghard is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the two are nearly always visited together. Each is carved in relief into natural walnut on its own disc, and the board is polished. Nothing is printed or applied.

What about shipping and returns? Shipping is free to the US, Canada and Europe, always tracked; other countries pay a flat $100 (Brazil, Chile and New Zealand $200). Every set is covered by our 30-day returns policy.

How do I look after it? Keep it out of direct sunlight and away from radiators. Wipe with a dry, soft cloth and store it closed in its carrying case.

About the Artist - Hrachya Ohanyan

National Master Hrachya Ohanyan began his fine woodcraft in 1985 and founded his workshop in Yerevan in 2010. This board belongs to his collection of wooden backgammon sets, each one made by hand by the craftspeople of that workshop. Read Hrachya Ohanyan's story or explore the full backgammon collection.

Also known as nardi (нарды), nardy, tavla or shesh besh.