The Grand Bazaar – one of the largest covered markets in the world. It is located in the old part of Istanbul. Just imagine the scale! 66 streets of the bazaar and more than four thousand shops. Every day, it is visited by over half a million visitors and tourists. The range of goods sold is extremely vast – jewelry and ornaments, antiques, leather, textiles, carpets, tourist souvenirs, ceramic and wooden products, and so on. Inside the Grand Bazaar, there are restaurants, fountains, mosques, residential areas, and even a cemetery. During the Ottoman period, the bazaar was not only engaged in trade but also in economic and financial operations, with banks operating here, and there was a stock exchange.
Are you already intrigued? Then it's time to experience another bustling and hectic day at the Istanbul bazaar. Merchants and their assistants bustle through the narrow passages, trying to outdo their competitors. Teamwork is above all: some are loading carts with goods in the warehouse, while others quickly distribute them to various places. And every merchant strives to collect the required number of rubies before their rivals.
In the board game “Istanbul: Complete Edition” (Istanbul: Big Box), you will take on the role of a merchant, who, along with their assistants, hurries through the streets of the Turkish bazaar. Gather goods, trade, and earn rubies. The modular game board will make each game different from the last, and the easy-to-learn rules allow for dozens of winning strategies. The first player to collect enough rubies will become the most successful merchant of the East!
“Istanbul: Complete Edition” is the base game and two expansions in one big box.
- “Coffee and Tips”. Expensive fabrics, the best spices, and fresh fruits have earned you a good amount of money, but now the regulars of the Istanbul bazaar have discovered a new delicacy – coffee. You immediately sensed what fortune can be made from trading aromatic beans. To succeed in this new venture, assistants alone will not be enough. Fortunately, tavern guests are ready to offer a few services for a small tip, and in the trading guild, you will find even more valuable help.
- “Letters and Seals”. The merchants of Istanbul have devised a new and quite profitable way of earning – delivering letters around the bazaar. This way, you can not only earn money but also learn something interesting, and then sell the information to a secret society for rubies. To manage the growing business, you have found a loyal partner. However, he is not as quick as you would like, though he manages without assistants.
A multitude of various strategies awaits you, a plethora of positive emotions, and the indescribable atmosphere of the East.
Game duration: 40 to 80 minutes
Number of players: 2 to 5