Quirkat is strategy board game believed to be of Egyptian origin. This game was brought to Europe by "Tariq's conquering Arab and Berber army in 711 A.D.". Quirkat was mention in the Kitab al Aghani (Book of Songs) which is a collection of poems in over 20 volumes compiled by Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani in the 8th/9th century.
The game is played on a five by five grid. Each player places their twelve pieces in two rows closest to them, and in two rightmost space in the center row. The game is played in turns by two players. Piece can be moved from its point to adjacent points as long as that point is empty. A piece can jump over any opposing piece and remove it form the game. Multiple jumps are permitted. If a capture is possible it must be made, or else the piece is removed.
The game is believed to be from Egypt. It was brought to Europe around 711 A.D. In France around 1535 a new game derived from quirkat called Jeu Force and later became known as Le Jeu Plaisant.
The game includes 24 pieces total and is played on a 5x5 grid.
Are there art elements? Are they functional or decorative? How?
"Ancient Board Games and the Nabataeans." Nabataea.net Home Page. Web. 01 Feb. 2010. <http://nabataea.net/games3.html>."Alquerque -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 01 Feb. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alquerque>.
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