Game on!

Abstract

"From the origins of chess to the clash of sticks on the polo field, and from the discipline of falconry to the cerebral ingenuity of poetry contests, Game On! explores the dissemination and adaptation of games across time, space, and traditions. Whether played on fields, boards, or screens, games offer more than just entertainment; rooted in curiosity and dialogue, they open opportunities for learning, connection, and engagement across cultures and generations. Through artworks, objects, and stories spanning more than a thousand years, Game On! centres on values that have animated communities for centuries: excellence and fairrness, strategy and imagination, aspiration and collective joy"-- On back of cover.

Contents

Preface / Dr. Sascha Priewe -- Game on! Game on! / Bita Pourvash -- Power plays: a short theory of Islamic game / Dr. Christiane Gruber -- The board: games of mind and strategy. Chess in the Islamic world and beyond / Dr. Krisztina Ilko -- The game of backgammon: from fate to gamble / Dr. Touraj Daryaee -- The quest: games of virtue and growth. Poetic contests: from Persian courts to contemporary stages / Dr. Nasrin Askari -- Chess of the gnostics: the Sufi version of snakes and ladders in Türkiye and India / Dr. İrvin Cemil Schick -- The arena: games of strength and skill. The oldest sport: wrestling / Dr. Houchang E. Chehabi -- Horsemanship in Islamic cultures / Dr. Carine Juvin -- The game of kings: polo / Dr. Houchang E. Chehabi -- Falconry in the Middle East: cultural traditions and symbolism / Dr. Anna Ayşe Akasoy -- Training the body, delighting the mind: falconry and the making of a sporting culture across Arabic and Latin worlds / Dr. Anne-Lise Tropato.