Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Khor Virap Monastery and Ararat

Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Khor Virap Monastery and Ararat, by Hrachya Ohanyan

The monastery, the rock and the mountain, all in the wood. Inside a lobed cartouche ringed with rope, master Hrachya Ohanyan carved Khor Virap in deep relief: the conical dome and belfry of the church, the long crenellated wall laid brick by brick, and below it the whole hillside cut in bold sweeping strokes, as if the rock were still tumbling down to the plain. Behind, the two peaks of Ararat rise with their summits left in the bare pale beech, like snow. Around the scene runs a field of carved diamond lattice inside a rope-and-bead border, on a straight classic outline, stained a deep chestnut brown under clear varnish. A handmade Armenian backgammon set hand-carved from a single piece of wood at the full 23.6″ / 60 cm.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and the 23.6″ / 60 cm hand-carved wooden backgammon board opens on a wheel ornament in a scrolled ring at the heart of each half, points in pale and dark wood tipped with fleur-de-lys, a carved scalloped frame round the field and an ornate hinge on the centre bar. Turn it over and the back cover carries two eternity whirls in deep relief inside lattice panels. Thirty-two checkers in light and dark wood, a dice set and the branded carrying case come with it. This is the handmade backgammon board for the family that drives to Khor Virap every time a cousin visits — and for the cousin.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, carved from one piece, stained deep chestnut brown and varnished; the Ararat summits left in bare pale wood
• Motif: Khor Virap monastery — church, belfry and crenellated wall — on its rocky hill with the twin peaks of Ararat behind, hand-carved in deep relief inside a lobed rope-ringed cartouche; carved diamond lattice field with rope-and-bead border; two eternity whirls in deep relief on the back cover; wheel ornaments and fleur-de-lys points inside
• Outline: classic, with carved moulded 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
• Branded carrying case

Why You'll Love It

• Real depth: the church, the wall and every fold of the hillside stand up out of the beech — carved by hand in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop, so the afternoon light throws real shadows across the rock.
• Carved on both covers: Khor Virap under Ararat on the front, two eternity whirls in lattice on the back — there is no plain side to this board.
• Ready for the table: full-size 23.6″ / 60 cm board, checkers in light and dark wood, dice and a carrying case — open it and play.

Good to Know Before You Buy

How big is it? Open, the board is 23.6″ / 60 cm square — the standard full size for a living-room table. Closed, it is 23.6″ × 11.8″ / 60 × 30 cm and stands on its own edge.

Is the carving real? Yes — all of it. The monastery, the wall, the hillside and the peaks of Ararat are cut into the beech by hand in deep relief inside the carved cartouche; the lattice field, the rope-and-bead border, the eternity whirls on the back and the frame inside are carved the same way. Nothing is printed or pressed. The chestnut colour is a stain in the wood under the varnish, and the pale summits are the bare beech left unstained.

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 case.

The Deep Pit

Khor Virap means the deep pit, and the name is literal: under the chapel is the dungeon where Gregory the Illuminator was held for thirteen years by King Tiridates, until the king's sister dreamt that he alone could cure her brother — and Armenia became the first Christian nation, in 301. The monastery on its rock has been rebuilt more than once since; the mountain behind it has not changed. Every Armenian schoolchild has climbed the ladder down into the pit and come up blinking at Ararat. The carvers cut that view into this lid — walls, dome, rock and snow — the way the story is cut into the country.

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 Lasts Generations

For a house-blessing, a wedding in the diaspora, a godfather's name day or the friend who has just made the pilgrimage, an Armenian backgammon set with Khor Virap carved in relief on the lid is the backgammon gift set that holds the whole story. We send it at Christmas, on 21 September and on Father's Day. It gets opened, played and passed on.