Middle East and Central Asia
The game known in the West as backgammon is played widely in the Middle East and Central Asia. It is known as ifranjiah in Arabic (meaning "Frankish"), and is referred to as takhte nard in Iran. In Israel it is known as shesh besh ("shesh" being the Persian word for "six", and "besh" the Turkish word for "five").
The name nardshir comes from the Persian nard (Wooden block) and shir (lion) referring to the two type of pieces used in play. A common legend associates the game with the founder of the Sassanian dynasty, Ardashir I. The oldest known reference to the game is thought to be a passage in the Talmud.
Many of the early Arabic texts which refer to the game comment on the debate regarding the legality and morality of playing the game. This debate was settled by the eighth century when all four Muslim schools of jurispudence declared the game to be Haraam (forbidden), however the game is still played today in many Arab countries.
Read more about this topic: Tables (board Game)
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