Tavla

Walking down the nargile-scented streets of Kisilay, every cafe is filled with customers drinking cay and playing backgammon (Tavla). Even the internet cafes manage to have a few sets on hand. It's a very popular game and the Turks are very fast at it. For a beginner such as myself it's better to play with other beginners. My friends and I never remember how to set up the board, so we always start wrong; this creates a new version of tavla: foreigner backgammon.