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Mancala is one of the oldest known games in the world, with origins tracing back thousands of years to Africa and the Middle East. These many names show how Mancala-capture” game, where players move seeds, stones, or beads across pits in a board, aiming to collect as many as possible. The simplicity of its rules combined with its strategic depth has made it a universal pastime, passed down through generations as both a form of recreation and a tool for teaching arithmetic, strategy, and patience.

Traditionally, Mancala boards were carved from wood or even dug into the ground, making it adaptable to many cultures. Across the globe, Mancala has countless local names that reflect its cultural diversity. In Nigeria, the Yorùbá call it Ayò, while the Igbo know it as Okwe, and the Hausa call it Wure. In Ghana it is called Oware, which is also the most internationally recognised version. In Ethiopia, it is known as Gebeta or Qarqis, while in Sudan, it is called Kurnu. Across the Middle East, it appears as Hus, Mangala in Turkey, and Bantumi in parts of Asia. The game even travelled to the Caribbean and the Americas through the African diaspora, where variants are still played today. These many names show how Mancala is not just a game but a global heritage, linking communities across continents through shared tradition and strategy.