page_title: Alquerque
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Alquerque / History
caption_attribution_description: Men playing Alquerque, pictured in Libro de los juegos.
context_page_description: Alquerque is a strategy board game that is thought to have originated in the Middle East. It is considered to be the parent of draughts and Fanorona.
context_section_description: The game does not appear in literature until late in the 10th century when Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani mentioned Qirkat in his 24 volume work Kitab al-Aghani ("Book of Songs"). This work, however, made no mention of the rules of the game. 
  In Board and Table Games from Many Civilizations, R. C. Bell writes that "when the Moors invaded Spain they took El-quirkat with them". Rules are included in Libro de los juegos ("Book of games") commissioned by Alfonso X of Castile in the 13th century.
  Spanish settlers in New Mexico introduced a four-player variant of Alquerque to the Zuni.
caption: An illustration of the game in Libro de los juegos
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