What Is The Origin Of Playing Cards?

The fact is that playing cards have been known since the very first days of man's creation of graphic art. For a long time it was claimed that the Chinese invented playing cards, because long ago the Chinese paper money and their playing cards were practically identical. There were playing cards in China a thousand years ago, but now it is considered uncertain whether the Chinese, the Egyptians, the Hindus or the Arabs invented playing cards. The use of playing cards for fate telling goes back to their very origin. Its may be possible that cards were used for this purpose before they were used for playing games or gambling. In the middle age of history of mankind playing cards were used by "sorcerers" to predict the future.

Some people believe the Crusaders brought them back from their travels into Europe. The Saracens introduced them into Spain or Italy, or that gypsies brought them into Eastern Europe as per some people believed. Playing cards have apparently been known in Europe since the 13th century.