Al Hawalees: Learn How to Play this Traditional Omani game in Muscat

Traditional games have a special place in the hearts of Omanis, especially Al Hawalees, a time-passing game that is played by all, from village children to aged fishermen amid their boats. Al Hawalees is the Omani version of Mancala, a board game that originated in Ghana in the 6th and 7th centuries. It involves a 28-hole wooden board with ‘counters’ made of seeds or pieces of marble. In the Omani version, all the equipment is scrapped, and instead the game is played at the beach sans board, with players scooping holes in the sand and using seashells as their counters. The game used to be played by old men after they returned from fishing. They would gather and play on the sand between their boats with a small group of bystanders cheering them on. The game has since travelled around the country from the North of Musandam to Dhofar in the south, with boards carved into the cement in Ruwi, and foldable wooden boards spread on the cliffs of Jebel Akhdar. It is a game that can be enjoyed by anyone, young or old, rich or poor; all you need is a beach or dirt lot, shells or stones, and an opponent. —[email protected] How to Play • Make four rows of seven holes each for a total of 28 holes (14 for each player). Collect 56 counters. Place two counters in each hole. • Pick your starting hole; then grab two counters and, moving counter-clockwise, place one counter in the next hole and keep the other one in your hand. Take the two counters from the next hole (moving counterclockwise) and, with three counters in your hand, place two of them in the next two consecutive holes (one new stone per hole). • Keep repeating the same pattern and complete a full round till you reach your starting hole (which will be empty). • When you place a counter in an empty hole, the counters from the two opposite holes on the opponent’s side are taken. After taking your opponent’s counters, it becomes your opponent’s turn to play. • The second player will repeat the above steps, beginning by choosing which hole to start with. • The game continues until one of the players possesses all of his opponent’s counters. The player that has counters left in his holes is the winner. *Additional rules: You cannot take counters if your opponent’s first hole is empty and you cannot start with a hole that contains one counter. Best Places to Play Go traditional and play by the sea with fishermen. - Seeb Corniche - Al Hail Corniche - Qantab Beach