Wooden Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Lalish Temple and Shams Sun

Wooden Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Lalish Temple and Shams Sun, by Hrachya Ohanyan

Lalish, carved. Inside a lobed cartouche on the front cover, the holiest place of the Yazidi faith rises in deep relief: the fluted conical spires of the temple, the walls and arched gate below them, trees on either side, and the word LALISH in raised carved letters. Master Hrachya Ohanyan set the scene on a field of carved diamond lattice inside rope-and-bead borders, gave the board a cusped contour outline, and in the corner cut a sun roundel with SHAMS at its heart — the sun that Yazidis turn to at prayer. The beech is stained a warm chestnut brown under clear varnish. A wooden 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 keeps the sun inside: a Shams roundel in pale wood at the heart of each half, its rays reaching out to points in pale and dark wood tipped with fleur-de-lys, and an ornate hinge on the centre bar. 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 Yazidi home, the wedding in Aknalich, and the friend who wants something from Lalish that will last.

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 warm chestnut brown and varnished
• Motif: the temple of Lalish — fluted conical spires, walls, gate and trees — with LALISH in raised letters, hand-carved in deep relief inside a lobed cartouche; a Shams sun roundel on the lid corner and on the back cover; carved diamond lattice field with rope-and-bead borders; Shams sun roundels in pale wood inside
• Outline: contour, with scrolled cusps and carved moulded edges
• Hardware: cast-bronze hinges and clasps
• Entirely handmade 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

• Lalish in real relief: the spires, the gate and every letter of LALISH stand up out of the beech — cut by hand in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop, and no two boards the same.
• The sun on every side: Shams roundels on the lid, on the back cover and inside both halves — the sun of Yazidi prayer, carved where the game is played.
• 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. The temple, the trees, the letters, the cartouche frame, the lattice field and the sun roundels on the covers are cut into the beech by hand in relief. The Shams roundels inside are pale wood worked into the dark ground. Nothing is printed. The chestnut colour is a stain in the wood under the varnish.

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.

Lalish and Aknalich

Lalish, in the mountains of northern Iraq, is the valley every Yazidi hopes to visit once: the tomb of Sheikh Adi under the fluted spires, the White Spring, the shoes left at the threshold. Armenia holds the largest Yazidi community outside the homeland — the country's largest minority — and in 2019 the village of Aknalich near Yerevan opened the biggest Yazidi temple in the world, its spires modelled on Lalish. The Hrachya Ohanyan workshop, a short drive away, carved the original temple onto a nardi board with the sun of Shams on every side. It is the board for a community that plays the game as seriously as its neighbours do.

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 Yazidi wedding, a son's first job, a grandfather in Aknalich, a friend in the diaspora in Germany, or the family that has just made the journey to Lalish, a hand-carved backgammon set with the temple on the lid and the sun inside is the backgammon gift set that keeps the pilgrimage on the table. We send it for Çarşema Sor, the Yazidi New Year, and to families far from home. It gets opened, played and passed on.