Mheibes () is a traditional

game A game is a structured type of play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or video games) or art ...

involving two teams. It is mostly played in the Arab Mashriq, and specifically in

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. It has similarities to other games involving an object hidden in the hand, including the Native American

Handgame Handgame, also known as stickgame, is a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Native American guessing game, in which marked "bones" are concealed in the hands of one team while another team guesses their location. Gameplay Any number of people c ...

, the Welsh Tippit and the English game Up Jenkins. The word ''Mheibes'' is a

cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language. Because language change can have radical effects on both the s ...

of the word ''mihbes'' or ''mehbis'' (), which means ring. Its historical origins are unclear, but it is thought to go back to at least the 1600s. The rules most common in current use coalesced during the 1990s. Public and organised play was suppressed in some regions of Iraq under

ISIL The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS occupied signif ...

, but has seen a resurgence in the years since. Traditionally it is played during

Ramadan Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (''Fasting in Islam, sawm''), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed ...

, with games starting in the evening and continuing into the night. Only men play in competitive leagues, but informal games sometimes include women, and in 2024 the Baghdadi Museum hosted a women's match.

Gameplay

The game involves two teams, with each team attempting to hide a ring from the other. The game begins with a player going around the team, to give the ring to one person, trying to prevent the other team from knowing which player holds the ring. The other team must then nominate a player, who has only one guess to find out who is holding the ring (and in which hand). The decision is based on studying the facial expressions of each team member. The player can also rule out players if he believes they do not hold the ring. He can rule out as many as he wants. When a player rules out a hand holding the ring, the ring is exposed followed by a shouting of the word ''Bat'' () implying in the Iraqi-dialect "to sleep over" or to "stay the night", as the ring is once again hidden.

References

Mheibes – A traditional Iraqi game during Ramadan
- Prashant Rao {{Ramadan Traditional games Culture of Iraq Articles containing video clips