Bursa is valid a treasure of Turkey because Bursa was the first capital of the Ottoman Empire, so the city has many fantastic monuments that are worth visiting. The city is known for its silk selections and is an important point of industry, trade and culture in Turkey. Bursa is also a winter sports center and health resort. Winter sports enthusiasts will have at their disposal a well-developed infrastructure on the slopes of Mount Uludag, and those who love hot baths will be able to soak in sulfur and iron hot springs. Bursa is often called green Bursa-Yesil Bursa by its inhabitants because it is surrounded by a lot of greenery, which is unfortunately an unusual sight in Turkey. The city is also famous for its street fountains from which you can drink water from healthy, underground springs.
Bursa is a large city with over 2 million inhabitants located in north-western Turkey near the Sea of Marmara at the foot of Mount Uludağ. It is one of the most important industrial centers of Turkey.
Attractions
Grand Mosque in Bursa
The Grand Mosque is a mosque in Bursa, located at the western end of the city’s main artery: Atatürk Caddesi. It is the largest Muslim temple in this city. The building was built between 1396 and 1400 on the orders of the fourth sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Bayezid I. It was built on the occasion of the sultan’s victory over the Hungarian king Sigismund of Luxembourg in the Battle of Nicopolis on the Danube in 1396.
Green mosque – Yeşil Camii
Green Tomb
The Green Mosque is a Turkish mosque built in the 15th century. The mosque is part of a complex that also includes a tomb, madrasa and almshouse. The Green Mosque is the most decorated mosque in Bursa. The facade is made of white marble and the prayer hall is lined with magnificent green faience. The marble sculptures decorating the central portal and windows are among the masterpieces of Ottoman art.
Orhan Gazi Mosque
Built between 1339 and 1340 by Orhan Gazi, it is one of the most important early Ottoman structures in Bursa. The mosque was damaged in 1413 by Karamanoglu Mehmet Bey and repaired in 1417 by Çelebi Sultan Mehmet. Notice the star-shaped decorations depicting the course of the sun and the marble decorations on the eastern and western facades. The surrounding complex is one of the first in the Ottoman tradition and consists of a mosque, a madrasa, an eatery, a bathhouse and an inn.
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art
Turkish Museum of Islamic Art Yeşil Madrasah, one of the buildings of the Yeşil Tomb, together with the mosque, imaret, tomb and bazaar, currently serves as the Museum of Turkish-Islamic Art. The building, which housed the Bursa Archaeological Museum and was a general museum from 1930 to 1972, has been open to visitors since 1975 as the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art. In the museum, tiles and ceramics from the Seljuk, Beylik and Ottoman periods (Iznik, Kütahya) from the 13th to the 20th century, wooden, carved and inlaid works, examples of Turkish metal art, tombak and other metal and Seljuk and Ottoman artifacts, traditional Turkish handicrafts are presented and clothes.
Visiting hours: 10:00 – 17:00, open days for visiting: every day except Mondays.
Tower Clock Tophane
The Tophane Clock Tower (Tophane Saat Kulesi) is a clock tower with six floors and a height of 33 m. Currently, the tower has a radio clock and serves as a fire observation station. There was another clock tower on the site of the current one, which was destroyed at an unknown date. Construction of the current tower began on August 2, 1904, and was completed on August 31, 1905. Tourists like to admire and take photos of the tower. Apart from the tower, it is worth going to restaurants or cafes in the Tophane district.
Koza Han
Han Goat is a silk bazaar dating back to 1491. It is covered with a roof and consists of two floors with 95 rooms. As its name suggests, this bazaar specializes in trading various types of textiles. Here you can feel the real commercial atmosphere of Turkey and go for quiet shopping, usually without crowds of tourists. There are numerous restaurants on site, and in the middle there is a small mosque.
Sykomora w Inkaya
Also worth visiting İnkaya is a neighborhood in the Karacabey commune and district in Bursa province. It is here that we find the most famous monumental tree, the İnkaya (Grand) plane tree, which is over 600 years old. Physically, it is the largest tree in Turkey. Tree diameter 3 meters, circumference 10 meters, height 37 meters. It has 13 main branches, the thickness of each of them is like a tree trunk.
Cumalıkızık
Cumalıkızık, one of the regions where Turks first settled in Bursa, has preserved its residential structure from the Ottoman period to this day, with a total of 270 houses, of which 180 are still in use and some are undergoing maintenance or repairs. Cumalıkızık is an atmospheric, traditional village included in the UNESCO list. It is worth devoting one day to a trip to this picturesque place.
Uludağ Mountain
When planning your Turkey tours, one destination that should undoubtedly be on your list is Mount Uludağ, home to the breathtaking Uludağ National Park and Ski Resort in Bursa. Nestled amidst the picturesque landscapes, this renowned ski center is a haven for winter enthusiasts seeking an unforgettable experience.
The ski resort Uludağ – Bursa is located in the Marmara Region (Marmara Bölgesi) . For skiing and snowboarding, there are 28 km of slopes available. 25 lifts transport the guests. The winter sports area is situated between the elevations of 1,781 and 2,322 m.
