( grc-gre, Προῦσα, Proûsa,

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

: Prusa, ota, بورسه, Arabic:بورصة) is a city in northwestern

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

and the administrative center of Bursa Province. The fourth-most populous city in Turkey and second-most populous in the

Marmara Region The Marmara Region (Turkish: ''Marmara Bölgesi'') is a geographical region of Turkey. Located in northwestern Turkey, it is bordered by Greece and the Aegean Sea to the west, Bulgaria and the Black Sea to the north, the Black Sea Region to the ...

, Bursa is one of the industrial centers of the country. Most of Turkey's automotive production takes place in Bursa. As of 2019, the Metropolitan Province was home to 3,056,120 inhabitants, 2,161,990 of whom lived in the 3 city urban districts ( Osmangazi, Yildirim and Nilufer) plus Gursu and

Kestel Kestel is an archaeological site in the Taurus Mountains in Turkey, with important finds related to the study of Tin sources and trade in ancient times. Archaeology Kestel is a probable site of Bronze Age tin mining in the Bolkar range o ...

, largely conurbated. Bursa was the first major and second overall capital of the Ottoman State between 1335 and 1363. The city was referred to as (, meaning "God's Gift" in Ottoman Turkish, a name of Persian origin) during the Ottoman period, while a more recent nickname is ("") in reference to the parks and gardens located across its urban fabric, as well as to the vast and richly varied forests of the surrounding region. Mount Uludağ, the ancient Mysian Olympus, towers over it, and has a well-known

ski resort A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In N ...

. Bursa has rather orderly urban growth and borders a fertile plain. The mausoleums of the early Ottoman sultans are located in Bursa, and the city's main landmarks include numerous edifices built throughout the Ottoman period. Bursa also has thermal baths, old Ottoman mansions, palaces, and several museums. The shadow play characters

Karagöz and Hacivat Karagöz (literally ''Blackeye'' in Turkish) and Hacivat (shortened in time from "Hacı İvaz" meaning "İvaz the Pilgrim", and also sometimes written as Hacivad) are the lead characters of the traditional Turkish shadow play, popularized during ...

are based on historic personalities who lived and died in Bursa in the 14th century.

History

The earliest known human settlement near Bursa's current location was at Ilıpınar Höyüğü around 5200 BC. It was followed by the

ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...

city of Cius, which

Philip V of Macedon Philip V ( grc-gre, Φίλιππος ; 238–179 BC) was king ( Basileus) of Macedonia from 221 to 179 BC. Philip's reign was principally marked by an unsuccessful struggle with the emerging power of the Roman Republic. He would lead Macedon aga ...

granted to Prusias I, the King of

Bithynia Bithynia (; Koine Greek: , ''Bithynía'') was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), adjoining the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus, and the Black Sea. It bordered Mysia to the sout ...

, in 202 BC. King Prusias rebuilt the city with the advice of general

Hannibal of Carthage Hannibal (; xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋, ''Ḥannibaʿl''; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Puni ...

, who took refuge with Prusias after losing the war with the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kingd ...

and renamed it Prusa ( grc, Προῦσα; sometimes rendered as ''Prussa''). After 128 years of Bithynian rule, Nicomedes IV, the last King of

, bequeathed the entire kingdom to the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Medite ...

in 74 BC. An early Roman Treasure was found in the vicinity of Bursa in the early 20th century. Composed of a woman's silver toilet articles, it is now in the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docume ...

. Under Byzantine rule, the town became a garrison city in 562 AD, where imperial guards were stationed there. Already by the mid-6th century, Bursa was known as a famous silk textile manufacturing centre. Bursa (from the Greek "Prusa") became the first major capital city of the early

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

following its capture from the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantin ...

s in 1326. As a result, the city witnessed a considerable amount of urban growth such as the building of hospitals, caravanserais and madrasas throughout the 14th century, with the first official Ottoman mint established in the city. After conquering

Edirne Edirne (, ), formerly known as Adrianople or Hadrianopolis (Greek: Άδριανούπολις), is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders, ...

(Adrianople) in

East Thrace East Thrace or Eastern Thrace ( tr, Doğu Trakya or simply ''Trakya''; el, Ανατολική Θράκη, ''Anatoliki Thraki''; bg, Източна Тракия, ''Iztochna Trakiya''), also known as Turkish Thrace or European Turkey, is the pa ...

, the Ottomans turned it into the new capital city in 1363, but Bursa retained its spiritual and commercial importance in the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman sultan Bayezid I built the Bayezid Külliyesi (Bayezid I theological complex) in Bursa between 1390 and 1395 and the Ulu Cami (Grand Mosque) between 1396 and 1400. After Bayezid was defeated in the Battle of Ankara by the forces

Timur Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kür ...

in 1402, the latter's grandson, Muhammad Sultan Mirza, had the city pillaged and burned. Despite this, Bursa remained as the most important administrative and commercial centre in the empire until

Mehmed II Mehmed II ( ota, محمد ثانى, translit=Meḥmed-i s̱ānī; tr, II. Mehmed, ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror ( ota, ابو الفتح, Ebū'l-fetḥ, lit=the Father of Conquest, links=no; tr, Fâtih Su ...

conquered Conquest is the act of military subjugation of an enemy by force of arms. Military history provides many examples of conquest: the Roman conquest of Britain, the Mauryan conquest of Afghanistan and of vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, t ...

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth ( Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...

in 1453. The population of Bursa was 45,000 in 1487. During the Ottoman period, Bursa continued to be the source of most royal

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...

products. Aside from the local silk production, the city imported raw silk from

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkm ...

, and occasionally from China, and was the main production centre for the kaftans, pillows,

embroidery Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen ...

and other silk products for the Ottoman palaces until the 17th century. Devshirme system was also implemented in Bursa and its surroundings where it was negotiated between the authorities and locals. For example, during the 1603-4 levy, the villagers of a Christian village called Eğerciler, in Bursa, declared that they were responsible for providing sheep to the capital, and the children of the village were very much needed as shepherds. They asserted that even though they were not obliged to give any children for the army, the officers took some anyway, and that they should be returned. The villagers’ claim that it was in tremendous need of future shepherds was taken seriously by the state, and a decree commanded the return of the children. Bursa was also notable for its numerous hammams (bath) built during the reign of Suleiman such as the Yeni Kaplıca. As it was a significant cultural and trade hub, traders, most of whom were Armenians, became very wealthy. However, this legacy of cultural pluralism in Bursa almost entirely ended due to the events that took place from 1895 to 1925, namely the Hamidian massacres, the

Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was ...

, and the population exchange. The most influential study of Bursa's silk trade and economic history is the work of Ottomanist

Halil İnalcık Halil İnalcık (7 September 1916 – 25 July 2016) was a Turkish historian. His highly influential research centered on social and economic approaches to the Ottoman Empire. His academic career started at Ankara University, where he completed hi ...

. Following the foundation of the

Republic of Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula i ...

in 1923, Bursa became one of the industrial centres of the country. The economic development of the city was followed by population growth and Bursa became the

4th Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...

most populous city in

The city has traditionally been a pole of attraction, and was a major centre for refugees from various ethnic backgrounds who immigrated to

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The r ...

from the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

during the loss of the

Ottoman territories in Europe Rumelia ( ota, روم ايلى, Rum İli; tr, Rumeli; el, Ρωμυλία), etymologically "Land of the Romans", at the time meaning Eastern Orthodox Christians and more specifically Christians from the Byzantine rite, was the name of a his ...

between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The most recent arrival of Balkan Turks took place between the 1940s and 1990s, when the

People's Republic of Bulgaria The People's Republic of Bulgaria (PRB; bg, Народна Република България (НРБ), ''Narodna Republika Balgariya, NRB'') was the official name of Bulgaria, when it was a socialist republic from 1946 to 1990, ruled by the ...

expelled approximately 150,000 Bulgarian Turks to Turkey. About one-third of these 150,000 Bulgarian Turkish refugees eventually settled in Bursa (especially in the Hürriyet neighborhood). With the construction of new industrial zones in the period between 1980 and 2000, many people from the eastern provinces of Turkey came and settled in Bursa.

Geography

Bursa stands on the northwestern slopes of Mount Uludağ (known as the Mysian Olympus in classical antiquity), on the banks of the Nilüfer River, in the southern

. It is the capital city of Bursa Province, which borders the

Sea of Marmara The Sea of Marmara,; grc, Προποντίς, Προποντίδα, Propontís, Propontída also known as the Marmara Sea, is an inland sea located entirely within the borders of Turkey. It connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea via the ...

and

Yalova Yalova is a market-gardening town located in northwestern Turkey on the eastern coast of the Sea of Marmara. The town has a population of 156,838, while the population of the surrounding Yalova Province is 291,001 . A largely modern town, it i ...

to the north; Kocaeli and

Sakarya Sakarya may refer to: Places * Sakarya Province, in Turkey ** Sakarya (electoral district) ** Sakarya University * Sakarya (continent), a small continent 90 million years ago * Sakarya River, in Turkey * Sakarya, Polatlı, a village in Ankara Pro ...

to the northeast; Bilecik to the east; and Kütahya and

Balıkesir Balıkesir () is a city in Turkey and is the capital city of Balıkesir Province. Balıkesir is located in the Marmara region of Turkey and has a population of 338,936. Between 1341–1922, it was the capital of Karasi. History Close to ...

to the south.

Climate

Bursa has a

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

: Csa) under the Köppen classification, and dry-hot summer subtropical climate (Csa) under the Trewartha classification. The city has hot, dry summers that last from June until September. Winters are cool and damp, also containing the most rainfall. There can be snow on the ground which will last for a week or two.

Air pollution Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different type ...

is a chronic problem in Bursa.

Economy

Bursa is the largest production centre of the Turkish automotive industry. Factories of

motor vehicle A motor vehicle, also known as motorized vehicle or automotive vehicle, is a self-propelled land vehicle, commonly wheeled, that does not operate on rails (such as trains or trams) and is used for the transportation of people or cargo. The ...

producers like

Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...

Renault Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufacture ...

and Karsan, as well as automotive parts producers like Bosch, Mako,

Valeo Valeo is a French global automotive supplier headquartered in France, listed on the Paris Stock Exchange ( CAC-40 Index). It supplies a wide range of products to automakers and the aftermarket. The Group employs 113,600 people in 33 countries wo ...

Johnson Controls Johnson Controls International is an American Irish-domiciled multinational conglomerate headquartered in Cork, Ireland, that produces fire, HVAC, and security equipment for buildings. As of mid-2019, it employed 105,000 people in around 2,0 ...

Delphi Delphi (; ), in legend previously called Pytho (Πυθώ), in ancient times was a sacred precinct that served as the seat of Pythia, the major oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient classical world. The oracl ...

have been active in the city for decades. The

textile Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not t ...

and

food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ...

industries are equally strong, with

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atla ...

, Pepsi Cola and other beverage brands, as well as fresh and canned food industries being present in the city's organized industrial zones. Apart from its large automotive industry, Bursa also produces a substantial amount of dairy products (by Sütaş), processed food (by ), and beverages (by ). Hudavendigar Park and Nilufer River in Bursa

Hudavendigar Park and Nilufer River in Bursa

Traditionally, Bursa was famous for being the largest centre of

trade in the

and later the Ottoman empires, during the period of the lucrative Silk Road. The city is still a major centre for textiles in Turkey and is home to the Bursa International Textiles and Trade Centre (, or ). Bursa was also known for its fertile soil and agricultural activities, which have decreased in the recent decades due to the heavy industrialization of the city. Bursa is a major centre for tourism. One of the most popular

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ...

resorts of Turkey is located at Mount Uludağ, just next to the city proper. Bursa's thermal baths have been used for therapeutical purposes since Roman times. Apart from the baths that are operated by hotels, Uludağ University has a physical therapy centre which also makes use of thermal water.

Transportation

Bursa has a

metro Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urban ...

( Bursaray),

trams A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

and bus system for inner-city public transport, while taxi cabs are also available. Bursa's Yenişehir Airport is away from the city centre. The citizens of Bursa also prefer Istanbul's airports such as Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen International Airport for flights to foreign countries, due to Istanbul's proximity to Bursa. There are numerous daily bus and ferry services between the two cities. Teleferik,_Uludağ

The long Bursa Uludağ Gondola ( tr, Teleferik) connects Bursa with the ski resort areas high on the mountain

Uludağ Uludağ (), the ancient Mysian or Bithynian Olympus (Greek: Όλυμπος), is a mountain in Bursa Province, Turkey, with an elevation of . In Turkish, ''Uludağ'' means " great mountain". In ancient times the range of which it is a part, ex ...

. The only railway station in Bursa is the Harmancık station on the

- Kütahya railway, which was opened in 1930. The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Bursa, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 62 min. 12% of public transit riders ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 18 min, while 31% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is , while 17% travel for over in a single direction.

Education

BursaTeknikÜniversitesi_MimarSinanYerleşkesi

Bursa has two public universities and one private university. Uludağ University, founded in 1975 in

Görükle 300px, A view of Uludağ from Görükle Görükle (or Gyourouklyeh) is a town in the district of Nilüfer in western Bursa Province, Turkey. It is a college town, being situated near the campus of Uludağ University and home to many college s ...

, is the oldest institution of higher education in the city. Founded first as the Bursa University then renamed Uludağ University in 1982, the university has a student body of 47,000, one of the largest in Turkey. Bursa Technical University is the second public university of Bursa and was established in 2010, beginning education in the 2011–2012 academic year. The first private university of Bursa was the Bursa Orhangazi University, which started education in the 2012–2013 academic year. However, Orhangazi University was shut down by the Turkish government after the failed coup attempt of July 2016. Istanbul Commerce University has opened graduate programs in Bursa in 2013. The

Bursa Sports High School Bursa Sports High School ( tr, Bursa Spor Lisesi), full name Bursa BTSO Celal Sönmez Spor Lisesi (BTSO is for Bursa Commerce and Industry Chamber), is a government-funded co-educational comprehensive and specialist secondary school, with specia ...

is located in Osmangazi district.

Sports

Bursa Büyükşehir Belediye Stadium 20181026 (2)

The city has one professional football club,

Bursaspor Bursaspor Kulübü Derneği (), commonly known as Bursaspor, is a Turkish sports club located in the city of Bursa. Formed in 1963, the club colours are green and white, with home kits usually featuring both colours in a striped pattern. In th ...

, which formerly competed in the

Süper Lig The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), officially known as Spor Toto Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a Turkish professional league for association football clubs. It is the top-flight of the Turkish football league system and is run by the ...

(Super League), the top-tier of Turkish football, until finishing 16th at the end of the 2018–19 Süper Lig season and being relegated to the

TFF First League The TFF 1. Lig, officially known as Spor Toto 1. Lig for sponsorship reasons, is the second level of the Turkish football league system. The league was founded in 2001 as the ''Turkish Second League Category A'' after the reorganization of the ...

. A few years earlier, Bursaspor had managed to become the Turkish champions at the end of the 2009–10 Süper Lig season, thereby becoming the second Anatolian club to ever win the Süper Lig championship title after Trabzonspor. Henceforth, Bursaspor was often considered to be one of the five biggest football clubs in Turkey, along with Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş and Trabzonspor. The club's relegation to the TFF First League at the end of the 2018–19 season was a major shock for its fans and became a first in the history of Turkish football: Never before a club which had won the Süper Lig championship title was relegated. Bursaspor plays its home games at the Timsah Arena (meaning "Crocodile Arena",

crocodile Crocodiles (family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to include all extant ...

being the mascot of the team), which has a seating capacity of 45,000. The city has a professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

team in the

Turkish Basketball League Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and ...

Tofaş S.K. Tofaş Spor Kulübü (''English: Tofaş Sports Club'') (more commonly known as Tofaş) is a professional basketball team that is based in Bursa, Turkey. Their home arena is the Tofaş Nilüfer Spor Salonu, with a capacity of 7,500 seats. The team ...

, which is among the most successful teams. The club plays its games at the Tofaş Nilüfer Sports Hall.

Politics

The current Mayor of the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality is

Alinur Aktaş Alinur Aktaş (born 1970, in İnegöl, Turkey) is a Turkish politician in the AKP and the current Mayor of Bursa since 2017. Personal life He was born in 1970, in the İnegöl district of the Bursa Province. After graduating from primary school ...

from the Justice and Development Party (AKP), in office since 2019, the AKP coalition won 49.6% of the vote against the CHP coalition which got 47% of the vote.

Main sights

Ulu Cami (Grand Mosque)

Ulu Cami A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as '' jumu'ah''.* * * * * * ...

is the largest mosque in Bursa and a landmark of early

Ottoman architecture Ottoman architecture is the architectural style that developed under the Ottoman Empire. It first emerged in northwestern Anatolia in the late 13th century and developed from earlier Seljuk Turkish architecture, with influences from Byzantine a ...

, which incorporated many elements from Seljuk architecture. Ordered by Sultan Bayezid I, the mosque was designed and built by architect Ali Neccar in 1396–1400. It is a large and rectangular building, with a total of twenty domes that are arranged in four rows of five, and are supported by 12 columns. Supposedly the twenty domes were built instead of the twenty separate mosques which Sultan Bayezid I had promised for winning the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396. The mosque has two

minaret A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گل‌دسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally ...

Inside the mosque there are 192 monumental wall inscriptions written by the famous calligraphers of that period. There is also a fountain (

şadırvan A shadirvan ( fa, شادروان, tr, şadırvan, ar, شاذروان) is a type of fountain that is usually built in the courtyard or near the entrance of mosques, caravanserais, khanqahs, and madrasas, with the main purpose of providing wa ...

) where worshipers can perform ritual ablutions before prayer; the dome over the şadırvan is capped by a skylight which creates a soft, serene light below; thus playing an important role in the illumination of the large building. Bursa_Yeşil_Camii_-_Green_Mosque_(25)

The horizontally spacious and dimly lit interior is designed to feel peaceful and contemplative. The subdivisions of space formed by multiple domes and pillars create a sense of privacy and even intimacy. This atmosphere contrasts with the later Ottoman mosques (see for example the works of

Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I ( ota, سليمان اول, Süleyman-ı Evvel; tr, I. Süleyman; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the West and Suleiman the Lawgiver ( ota, قانونى سلطان سليمان, Ḳ ...

's chief architect

Mimar Sinan Mimar Sinan ( ota, معمار سينان, translit=Mi'mâr Sinân, , ) ( 1488–1490 – 17 July 1588) also known as Koca Mi'mâr Sinân Âğâ, ("Sinan Agha the Grand Architect" or "Grand Sinan") was the chief Ottoman architect ( tr, l ...

.) The mosques that were built after the conquest of Constantinople (

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

) by the Ottoman Turks in 1453, and influenced by the design of the 6th century Byzantine basilica of

Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia ( 'Holy Wisdom'; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque ( tr, Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi), is a mosque and major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The cathedral was originally built as a Greek Ortho ...

, had increasingly elevated and large central domes, which create a vertical emphasis that is intended to be more overwhelming; in order to convey the divine power of Allah, the majesty of the Ottoman Sultan, and the governmental authority of the Ottoman State. Botanik_park_-Bursa_

Places of interest

A brief list of the places of interest in and around Bursa is presented below. For a longer list, see the places of interest in Bursa.

Mosques and külliye complexes

* Bursa Grand Mosque and * Yeşil Mosque and *

Bayezid I Mosque Bayezid I Mosque (Turkish: ''Yıldırım Camii'' or ''Yıldırım Bayezid Camii'') is a historic mosque in Bursa, Turkey, that is part of the large complex (külliye) built by the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I (Yıldırım Bayezid – ''Bayezid the ...

and * Muradiye Mosque and * Emir Sultan Mosque and * Orhan Gazi Mosque and *

Hüdavendigar Mosque Hüdavendigar Mosque or Murat I, the Hüdavendigar Mosque ( tr, Hüdavendigar Camii or ''1. Murat Hüdavendigar Camii'') is a historic mosque in Bursa, Turkey, that is part of the large complex (külliye) built by the Ottoman Sultan, Murad I, bet ...

and * Koca Sinan Paşa Mosque and * İshak Paşa Mosque and * Karacabey Grand Mosque * Karabaş-i Veli Cultural Centre * Somuncu Baba Mosque *

Üftade Tekkesi Üftade, (b. 895 AH/1490 AD or 900 AH/1495 AD, Bursa - d. 988 AH/1580 AD, Bursa) was an Ottoman Islamic scholar, sufi poet, and the shaykh of Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi. Biography Üftâde Hazretleri was born in the Araplar neighborhood of Burs ...

Mosque and complex *

Babasultan Babasultan is a Villages of Turkey, village in the Kestel, Bursa, Kestel district of Bursa Province in Turkey. References

Villages in Kestel District {{Bursa-geo-stub ...

Mosque and complex

Bazaars and
caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadside inn where travelers ( caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes coverin ...
s

* Yıldırım Bazaar ('' bedesten'') * Koza Han * Pirinç Han * İpek Han

Other historic monuments

* Bursa Castle *

Irgandı Bridge Irgandı Bridge ( tr, Irgandı Köprüsü) is an historical bridge in Bursa, Turkey. The bridge is over Gökdere, a tributary of Nilüfer River at . It is between Osmangazi (northwest) and Yıldırım (southeast), two second level municipal ...

* İnkaya Sycamore, very big and impressive 600-year-old tree ( Platanus orientalis)

Museums

* Bursa Archaeological Museum *

Bursa Atatürk Museum Bursa Atatürk Museum ( tr, Bursa Atatürk Evi Müzesi) is a historic house museum in Bursa, Turkey. The museum is at at Çekirge quarter of Osmangazi district in Bursa Province. The museum is a three-storey house. It was probably built towards ...

, * Bursa City Museum, * Bursa Energy Museum * Bursa Forestry Museum *

Bursa Karagöz Museum Bursa Karagöz Museum ( tr, Bursa Karagöz Müzesi) is a museum located at Osmangazi in Bursa, northwestern Turkey, dedicated to the folkloric shadow play figures Karagöz and Hacivat. It was established in 2007. Background The museum is located ...

* Bursa Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art * Bursa Turkish Architecture Museum * İznik Museum * Mudanya Armistice House * Museum of Ottoman House * Tofaş Museum of Cars and Anatolian Carriages

Parks and gardens

Uludağ National Park Uludağ (), the ancient Mysian or Bithynian Olympus (Greek: Όλυμπος), is a mountain in Bursa Province Bursa Province ( tr, ) is a province in Turkey along the Sea of Marmara coast in northwestern Anatolia. It borders Balıkesir to t ...

* Bursa Zoo and Botanical Garden * Bursa Hüdavendigar Kent Park

Hot springs and thermal baths

* Keramet hot spring * Çekirge hot spring * Armutlu hot spring * Oylat hot spring * Gemlik hot spring * Çelik Palas thermal bath

Beaches

* Armutlu beach * Kumla beach * Kurşunlu beach * Orhangazi beach * Mudanya beach

Gallery

File:Bursa Turkey 2013 1.jpg, Bursa Citadel Main Gate File:Bursa Orhan Gazi Mosque.jpg, Orhan Gazi Mosque File:EMİRSULTAN_CAMİİ_BURSA_-_panoramio_(2).jpg, Emir Sultan Mosque File:Bursa Koza Han (Silk Bazaar) 2.jpg, Koza Han (

Silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...

Bazaar) in Bursa File:Bursa001.jpg, Entrance of the

Yeşil Cami The Green Mosque (Turkish: ''Yeşil Camii''), also known as the Mosque of Mehmed I, is a part of a larger complex (Turkish: külliye) on the east side of Bursa, Turkey, the former capital of the Ottoman Turks before they captured Constantinop ...

(Green Mosque) File:Muradiye Complex, exterior.jpg, Muradiye Mosque and Külliye in Bursa File:Bursa, Governorate.jpg, Governorate of Bursa File:Uludag range.JPG, Mt. Uludağ is a popular ski destination File:Bursa 7059.jpg, Statue of Atatürk in Bursa File:Şehreküstü Mosque, Bursa.jpg, Şehreküstü Mosque File:Yeşil Cami Bursa.jpg, Interior of Yeşil Mosque File:Französische Kirche in Bursa.jpg, Bursa French Catholic Church File:Bursa Kalesi 1.jpg, Saltanatkapı (Citadel Main Gate) File:Bursa Büyükşehir Belediyesi.jpg, Old City Hall File:Clock Tower, Bursa.jpg, Tophane Clocktower File:Türbe of Osman I, Bursa.jpg, Tomb of Osman Gazi File:Türbe of Orhan Gazi, Bursa.jpg, Tomb of Orhan Gazi File:Innenansicht Große Moschee in Bursa PIC 2004-08-24 19-22 0227.JPG, Interior of the Grand Mosque File:Bursapnc1.JPG, Koza Han (Silk Bazaar) File:Irgandı_köprüsü_bursa_-_panoramio.jpg,

File:View of the city, Bursa, Turkey LOC 4211210430.jpg, A view of Bursa in the late 19th century File:Bursa, Turkey, ca. 1895.jpg, Bursa, circa 1895 File:Atatürk 1924'te Bursa halkına hitap ediyor.jpg, Atatürk delivering a speech in Bursa, 1924 File:View of Bursa from the hills of Mount Uludag.jpg, A view of Bursa from the foothills of Mt. Uludağ

Twin towns – sister cities

Bursa is

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

with: *

Darmstadt Darmstadt () is a city in the States of Germany, state of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Area, Rhine-Main-Area (Frankfurt Metropolitan Region). Darmstadt has around 160,000 inhabitants, making it th ...

, Germany (1971) *

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajev ...

, Bosnia and Herzegovina (1972) * Oulu, Finland (1978) *

Kairouan Kairouan (, ), also spelled El Qayrawān or Kairwan ( ar, ٱلْقَيْرَوَان, al-Qayrawān , aeb, script=Latn, Qeirwān ), is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was founded by t ...

, Tunisia (1987) * Anshan, China (1991) *

Bitola Bitola (; mk, Битола ) is a city in the southwestern part of North Macedonia. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba (North Macedonia), Baba, Nidže, and Kajmakčalan mountain ranges, north of th ...

, North Macedonia (1996) * Ceadîr-Lunga, Moldova (1997) * Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan (1997) *

Mascara Mascara is a cosmetic commonly used to enhance the upper and lower eyelashes. It is used to darken, thicken, lengthen, and/or define the eyelashes. Normally in one of three forms—liquid, powder, or cream—the modern mascara product has vari ...

, Algeria (1998) *

Kulmbach Kulmbach () is the capital of the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany. The town is famous for Plassenburg Castle, which houses the largest tin soldier museum in the world, and for its sausages, or ''Bratwürste''. Geography Location K ...

, Germany (1998) *

Pleven Pleven ( bg, Плèвен ) is the seventh most populous city in Bulgaria. Located in the northern part of the country, it is the administrative centre of Pleven Province, as well as of the subordinate Pleven municipality. It is the biggest ...

, Bulgaria (1998) *

Plovdiv Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the c ...

, Bulgaria (1998) *

Tirana Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...

, Albania (1998) *

Košice Košice ( , ; german: Kaschau ; hu, Kassa ; pl, Коszyce) is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of a ...

, Slovakia (2000) *

Vinnytsia Vinnytsia ( ; uk, Вінниця, ; yi, װיניצע) is a city in west-central Ukraine, located on the banks of the Southern Bug. It is the Capital city, administrative center of Vinnytsia Oblast and the largest city in the historic region o ...

, Ukraine (2004) *

Pristina Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians a ...

, Kosovo (2010) * Bakhchysarai, Ukraine (2010) * Momchilgrad, Bulgaria (2010) *

Mogilev Mogilev (russian: Могилёв, Mogilyov, ; yi, מאָלעוו, Molev, ) or Mahilyow ( be, Магілёў, Mahilioŭ, ) is a city in eastern Belarus, on the Dnieper River, about from the border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and from the bor ...

, Belarus (2013) *

Hebron Hebron ( ar, الخليل or ; he, חֶבְרוֹן ) is a State of Palestine, Palestinian. city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judaean Mountains, it lies Above mean sea level, above sea level. The second-lar ...

, Palestine (2014) *

Herzliya Herzliya ( ; he, הֶרְצְלִיָּה ; ar, هرتسليا, Hirtsiliyā) is an affluent city in the central coast of Israel, at the northern part of the Tel Aviv District, known for its robust start-up and entrepreneurial culture. In it ...

, Israel (2014) *

Veliko Tarnovo Veliko Tarnovo ( bg, Велико Търново, Veliko Tărnovo, ; "Great Tarnovo") is a town in north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. Often referred as the "''City of the Tsars''", Veliko Tarnovo ...

, Bulgaria (2017) * Galkayo, Somalia (2018)

Metropolitan Muncipality Mayors of Bursa

* 1984- 1989 Ekrem Barışık ANAP * 1989-

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson Ma ...

Teoman Özalp

DYP The Democrat Party ( tr, Demokrat Parti), abbreviated to DP, is a liberal conservative Turkish political party, established by Ahmet Nusret Tuna in 1983 as the True Path Party ( tr, Doğru Yol Partisi or DYP). It succeeded the historical Democ ...

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school s ...

Erdem Saker ANAP *

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

Erdoğan Bilsener DSP *

- 2009 Hikmet Şahin AK Party * 2009-

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

Recep Altepe AK Party *

-present

AK Party

References

External links

Bursa Metropolitan Municipality

Bursa Governorship
{{Authority control Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Turkey Greek colonies in Anatolia Bithynian colonies Cities in Turkey Populated places along the Silk Road Populated places in Bursa Province

History

Geography

Climate

Economy

Transportation

Education

Sports

Politics

Main sights

Ulu Cami (Grand Mosque)

Places of interest

Mosques and külliye complexes

Bazaars and
caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadside inn where travelers ( caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes coverin ...
s

Other historic monuments

Museums

Parks and gardens

Hot springs and thermal baths

Beaches

Gallery

Twin towns – sister cities

See also

Metropolitan Muncipality Mayors of Bursa

References

Further reading

External links

History

Geography

Climate

Economy

Transportation

Education

Sports

Politics

Main sights

Ulu Cami (Grand Mosque)

Places of interest

Mosques and külliye complexes

Bazaars and caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadside inn where travelers ( caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes coverin ...s

Other historic monuments

Museums

Parks and gardens

Hot springs and thermal baths

Beaches

Gallery

Twin towns – sister cities

See also

Metropolitan Muncipality Mayors of Bursa

References

Further reading

External links

Bazaars and
caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadside inn where travelers ( caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes coverin ...
s