Tarneeb is a typical Arabian card game that the rest of the world should discover.
Tarneeb was probably inspired by many other Arabic card games and though many different nations throughout the Middle East claim that Tarneeb was created in their respective countries. According to Wikipedia, Tarneeb can be traced back to Bla’d Al Sham, more specifically Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine, however the game seems to have truly flourished only from the early 18th century.
I came across this card game at the American University of Sharjah. It’s so popular in the dorms that I thought it’s worth sharing. Tarneeb can be traced back to “Bla’d Al Sham” (the Levant) and has grown in popularity throughout the Middle East. There are now websites and communities online that are dedicated to it.
Tarneeb seems to be becoming somewhat of a trend. Initially, when I saw my friends play it, I didn’t take any interest in the card game, but it grew on me as I found this game being played everywhere from shisha cafes to ‘tarneeb’ card parties at peoples’ homes.
One of my friends even told me that it is a good way to socialize and meet new people. I think it also has a reputation for stirring up excitement and I’ve seen people get real competitive and taking it too seriously!
Anyways, I’ve started to get into it, and I highly recommend giving it a try. Check out the youtube video on how to play it.
VIDEO ON YOUTUBE: HOW TO LEARN TARNEEB IN LESS THAN 3 MINUTES.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzPB7-Sd1YY
By Ayman Bukair
