Learn Istanbul
Learn the game in 5 short steps. Everything links to the full rules.
Welcome to Istanbul
The bazaar of Istanbul. You lead a merchant and his assistants through the bazaar’s Places, filling your wheelbarrow with goods, selling them and buying favours — racing to be the first with 5 Rubies.
2–5 players, 40–80 minutes. Ready to set up? Open the setup checklist — it adapts to your player count.
The bazaar
Sixteen Places in a 4 × 4 grid. Each has one action: Warehouses fill goods, Markets buy them, the Gemstone Dealer and Sultan’s Palace sell Rubies, the Fountain calls your assistants back. Tour of the Places.
A turn
- Move your merchant and the assistants under him 1 or 2 Places.
- Leave an assistant there — or pick up one you left before. No assistant to leave or pick up? Your turn ends.
- Pay 2 Lira to each other merchant there.
- Take the action of the Place.
Family, Governor and Smuggler
- Your Family member waits at the Police Station; from there it can take one action anywhere. Catch other players’ Family members for a reward.
- The Governor sells Bonus cards and the Smuggler goods, wherever they wander.
- Mosque tiles give lasting abilities, and owning both tiles of a Mosque earns a Ruby.
Game end
The first player with 5 Rubies (6 with 2 players or an expansion) ends the game: finish the round. Most Rubies wins; ties go to the most Lira.
Once you know the base game, add Mocha & Baksheesh or Letters & Seals. Game end.