Bursa

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Grand Mosque of Bursa, Bursa, Bursa Province, Turkey

Green Mosque, Bursa, Bursa Province, Turkey

About Bursa

Bursa was the first capital of the Ottoman state after Orhan Gazi took it in 1326, and the early sultans filled it with mosques, tombs, markets and baths. That legacy is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site that ties together the city's oldest monuments and the village of Cumalıkızık on the slopes above it.

The city spreads along the foot of Uludağ, a mountain that gives Bursa green slopes, mineral hot springs in Çekirge and a ski resort reached by one of the world's longest cable cars. In the centre, the Grand Mosque, the silk market of Koza Han and the covered bazaar stand side by side, and Bursa silk and towels are still sold there. Further east, the Green Mosque and Green Tomb show early Ottoman tilework at its finest.

Bursa is also the home of İskender kebab, thinly sliced döner over bread with tomato sauce and browned butter, and of candied chestnuts. It is an easy trip from Istanbul by ferry across the Sea of Marmara plus a short drive, and many visitors combine it with İznik.

Best seasonApril to June and September to October; December to March for skiing

Ideal stay2 days, plus a day on Uludağ

ArrivingFast ferry from Istanbul to Mudanya or Güzelyalı, or by bus

12 Best Things to Do in Bursa

Temples and Shrines 2

Grand Mosque of Bursa

Commissioned by Sultan Bayezid I and completed around 1400, the Ulu Cami is a vast hall covered by twenty domes resting on massive...

Green Mosque

Built for Sultan Mehmed I in the early 15th century, the Yeşil Cami in the Yeşil district is celebrated for its glowing green and...

History 3

Green Tomb

Standing on a rise opposite the Green Mosque, this octagonal mausoleum holds the tomb of Sultan Mehmed I, who died in 1421. Its ou...

Tombs of Osman and Orhan

On the Tophane hill above the old centre lie the tombs of Osman Gazi, founder of the Ottoman dynasty, and his son Orhan Gazi, who...

Muradiye Complex

Founded by Sultan Murad II in the 1420s, this complex combines a mosque, a madrasa and a peaceful garden filled with domed tombs o...

Neighborhoods 1

Cumalıkızık

About 10 km east of the centre, this village on the slopes of Uludağ is a rare survivor of early Ottoman rural life and part of Bu...

Shopping 2

Koza Han

Built in 1491 on the order of Sultan Bayezid II, this two-storey caravanserai was the centre of Bursa's silk cocoon trade. Today i...

Bursa Grand Bazaar

Next to the Grand Mosque, Bursa's covered market grew around a bedesten built under Bayezid I and spreads into a web of halls and...

Nature 1

Uludağ National Park

Rising south of the city, Uludağ, the ancient Mount Olympus of Mysia, is Turkey's best-known ski area in winter and a cool escape...

Viewpoints 1

Bursa Uludağ Teleferik

This modern gondola line climbs from the edge of the city to the Uludağ hotel area, ranking among the longest cable cars in the wo...

Landmarks 1

Irgandı Bridge

Built in 1442 across the Gökdere stream, this Ottoman bridge is one of the few in the world with shops along its span. Damaged ove...

Food and Drink 1

Kebapçı İskender

The family restaurant credited with inventing İskender kebab in the 19th century still serves it in the centre of Bursa. Thin slic...

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Photo credits

Photo: User:Darwinek, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Dennis G. Jarvis, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Carl Ha, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: HALUK COMERTEL, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Raki_Man, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Dosseman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Karelj, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Canercangul, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Brücke-Osteuropa, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: Dosseman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Karelj, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Dosseman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Bernard Gagnon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Mustafa DUMAN, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: User:Darwinek, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Mustafa DUMAN, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Haluk Comertel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Adbar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: HALUK COMERTEL, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Carl Ha, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Kurmanbek, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Dosseman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Francesco Bini, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Perseusfs, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Elnur Ahmadov, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: HALUK COMERTEL, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Haluk CÖMERTEL, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0