Tawleh Time: Learn to Play Backgammon with Masa at Soumak Boutique

🎲 Event Overview

Step into Soumak Boutique inside the Kids Market on Granville Island and discover Tawleh — the ancient game known today as backgammon — guided by Masa Kateb, a Shami storyteller and cultural educator who grew up with the sound of dice and stories in the coffeehouses of Damascus.

More than just a lesson, this is a cultural experience where strategy meets storytelling, and every roll of the dice carries history. Tawleh sharpens the mind — building math skills, probability thinking, patience, and focus — while nurturing presence, and the human skills that matter most: connection, conversation, and learning to win and lose with grace.

These sessions are open to both adults and children
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Children are welcome and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Unplug. Slow down. Think deeply. Connect.

📜 Event Description

Tawleh is what backgammon is called in the Land of Sham (colonially known as the Levant). For thousands of years, it has been played in coffeehouses from Damascus to Istanbul, bringing people together through strategy, conversation, and shared moments of peace.

In Sham, Tawleh isn't one game — it's many. With Masa, you'll discover the different ways the board comes alive: Ifranjiyeh (the classic game the world calls backgammon), Mahbouseh (where pieces are trapped, not taken), and Maghribiyeh (where movement follows its own ancient logic). Each variant carries its own rhythm, its own way of thinking.

Masa brings more than instruction — she brings the living culture of Sham to every session. Her teaching is woven with stories, history, and the warmth of a tradition that has connected strangers across tables for centuries. Whether you're a complete beginner or returning to a game you once knew, learning with Masa is an experience in itself ✨

Now available at Soumak Boutique on Granville Island — for a limited run every Friday in March.

🎁 What's Included

☕ Complimentary Turkish coffee and tea with delights, courtesy of Soumak Boutique
🕰️ 50-minute guided session with Masa
🧠 Rules, strategy, counting, and probability across multiple Tawleh variants
📖 Cultural and historical stories woven into every lesson
🎲 All equipment provided
🛍️ 10% off any backgammon set at Soumak (valid for 4 weeks)

💰 Class Options & Pricing

Private Experience (1 person) – $47 per session
One-on-one session tailored to your level and pace.

Learn Together (group of 2) – $67 per pair
Bond, unplug, and learn side by side.

Full Table (group of 3) – $87 per group
Adults and children welcome. Children must attend with a parent or guardian.

🗓️ Schedule

Every Friday in March 2026
Session times: 11:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 2:00 PM | 3:00 PM

Only 4 sessions per Friday. Limited spots — book yours now 🎯

📍 Location

Soumak Boutique, Kids Market, Granville Island
1496 Cartwright St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Y5

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Granville Island, inside the Kids Market (Yellow Building), 1496 Cartwright Street, Vancouver, Canada

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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