Armenian Travel Backgammon Set - Geghard Monastery

Armenian Travel Backgammon Set - Geghard Monastery, by Hrachya Ohanyan

Geghard, the monastery cut into the mountain, carved in relief on a board you can carry under one arm. The church with its conical dome, the gavit beside it and the walls stepping down the slope sit inside a round rope-ringed frame on a stippled ground, with a lobed panel and fine lattice in the corners — the same carving as the big board, at 15.7″ / 40 cm. A handmade Armenian travel backgammon set from a single piece of wood, by National Master Hrachya Ohanyan, for the bag, the car and the summer house.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and a 15.7″ / 40 cm hand-carved wooden backgammon board opens up: a carved wheel ornament at the heart of each half, pale points tipped with small carved flourishes, and the deep grain of the board running through it all. Thirty-two checkers in light and dark wood, a dice set and the black carrying bag come with it. This is the portable backgammon set for nardi on the balcony, at the picnic and on the train home — the one that never quite makes it back to the shelf.

Specifications

• Size open: 40 × 40 cm / 15.7″ × 15.7″
• Size folded: 40 × 20 cm / 15.7″ × 7.9″
• Material: beech wood, carved from one piece and varnished
• Motif: Geghard Monastery carved in relief inside a round rope-ringed frame; stippled ground, lobed panel, lattice corners, carved wheel ornaments inside
• Outline: classic, with carved stepped edges
• Hardware: cast-bronze hinges and clasps
• Handmade in Armenia by Hrachya Ohanyan

What's Included

• Backgammon board with bronze hinges and clasps
• 32 checkers made from beech and walnut wood, with velvet bases
• Dice set
• Black carrying bag

Why You'll Love It

• A monastery carved by hand: the dome, the walls and every dot of the stippled ground are cut into the wood in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop — a whole landscape in relief at travel size.
• Made for travel: a small, portable backgammon set — at 40 cm folded it fits a backpack or a suitcase, and it opens in seconds on a café table or a picnic blanket.
• A real nardi board, not a toy: the same wood, hinges and checkers as the large boards, with the full game inside.

Good to Know Before You Buy

Is 40 cm big enough to play properly? Yes — it is the classic travel size, comfortable for two players with the standard checkers. If you want a board for the living-room table, look at our 60 cm Geghard set.

Is the carving real? Yes. The monastery, the rope ring, the lattice and the wheel ornaments inside are all cut into the wood by hand, not printed or pressed — run a finger over the dome and you feel the stone courses.

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.

Can I add a name or a date? Yes — choose the engraving option on this page and tell us the text. A name or a date turns it into a personalized backgammon set, and it is the detail people remember years later.

How do I look after it? Keep it out of direct sun and away from radiators, wipe with a dry soft cloth, and store it closed in the bag.

Geghard

Geghard stands at the end of the Azat gorge, east of Yerevan, half built and half hollowed out of the cliff itself — its inner chapels were carved straight into the rock in the 13th century, and the water still runs through one of them. The name means "spear": for centuries the monastery kept the lance said to have pierced Christ, and pilgrims have climbed the gorge to it ever since. A travel board with Geghard on the cover takes a little of that gorge wherever the game goes.

About the Artist - Hrachya Ohanyan

In 1985, National Master Hrachya Ohanyan began his fine wood craft, introducing a new approach to the age-old traditions of woodworking. After many years of dedication, the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop was established in 2010. Every board passes through 14 stages of production, with 14 separate craftsmen leaving their mark before it reaches its finished form — a piece of wood artistry admired both in Armenia and around the world. Read the story of master Hrachya Ohanyan or explore the full Hrachya Ohanyan backgammon collection.

A Gift That Travels Well

For a student abroad, a friend who is always on the road or the family that spends every summer at the dacha, a handmade travel backgammon set with Geghard on the cover is the backgammon gift set that goes with them. We send it at Christmas, on Father's Day and to Armenians far from home. Small enough to post anywhere, and played for years after the box is thrown away.