Known as "Green Bursa", this province stands on the lower slopes of Uludag (Mount Olympos of Mysia, 2543 m) in the Marmara region of Anatolia. The title "Green" of Bursa comes from its gardens and parks, and of course from its being in the middle of an important fruit growing region. In Bursa there are things you should not miss. First of all you are in the homeland of the delicious "Iskender Kebap", one of the best dishes of world - famous Turkish Cuisine. The candied chestnuts (Kestane Sekeri) are a specialty of desserts and have an unforgettable taste. The peaches of Bursa are unique. As for something to purchase; Bursa is a center of the silk trade (since first silk cocoons were brought here with the caravans of the Silk Road) and towel manufacturing. It is also the homeland of the very famous Turkish folklore figures, Karagöz and Hacivat shadow puppets.
Because of its being the first Ottoman capital, Bursa is very rich in religious monuments, mosques, and tombs (turbes), baths. One of the places to be seen in Bursa is the Yesil Cami (Green Mosque), with its carved marble doorway which is one of the best in Anatolia. It is an elaborate and significant building in the new Turkish style. Just opposite, is the Yesil Türbe (Green Tomb), set in a green garden with an enchanting exterior decorated with turquoise tiles. Near the tomb, the Medrese complex (old theological school) now houses the Ethnographical Museum which certainly deserves visiting. The Yildirim Beyazit Mosque is important as it is the first one built in the new Ottoman style and is accompanied by the Emir Sultan Mosque which lies in a peaceful setting. The province is decorated with these monuments, each of which is a masterpiece. Here are the Ulu Cami (Grand Mosque) built in the Seljuk style, with impressive calligraphic wall decorations. The Orhan Gazi Mosque; the "Hisar", an attractive part of the province; the Mausoleums of Osman, the founder of the Ottoman Empire, and his son Orhan Gazi are other important sites to visit. The Muradiye Complex has a delightful view with its mosque and tombs of important characters from the Ottoman era, and their tiles and charming decorations appeal to the sightseers. The Ottoman Museum offers a lively exhibit of the traditional life style of Ottomans.
Uludag is the largest and most
celebrated winter-sports and skiing center
in Turkey. It is 36 kms from Bursa and
easily accessible by car or cable-car (teleferik).
The area is also a national park and is
worth a visit at any time of the year. The
accommodation is high quality offering the
opportunity to enjoy the mountain, with a
variety of entertainment and sports
activities. On the way up don't miss the
600-year old plain tree.
Mudanya is a seaside resort town with
fine fish restaurants and night-clubs, so
you can have a pleasant vacation there.
The old train station now serves as a
charming hotel.
Zeytinbagi (Trilye) is a town of
typical Turkish architecture and lay-out.
There are sea bus and ferry connections
with Istanbul.
Gemlik (27 km north), is another
seaside resort with a wide, sandy beach.
One of the best olive oils of Turkey comes
from this town.
Iznik (Nicaea) lies 85 kms northeast of
Bursa, at the eastern tip of Lake Iznik.
The town had a great importance for
Christians because of the Ecumenic
Councils, and witnessed many civilizations
which have left their marks all over the
land. This town is famous for its unique
tiles and has been the center of tile
production in the 16th century. Iznik
tiles were the basic decorative element of
Seljuk and Ottoman architecture. The
turquoise-tiled Yesil Mosque and Nilüfer
Hatun Imareti are among the Islamic works
in the town.
Where to
visit
THERMAL
RESORTS
Vakıfbahçe (Çekirge) Thermal
Springs: In the Çekirge neighborhood
of Bursa, it is used by all the hotels in
Çekirge, as well as the Military Hospital
and the Çelik Palas. The bitter alkaline
bicarbonate waters of this hot spring are
used in bathing treatments for rheumatism,
aching muscles, blood clots, diabetes,
gout and disorders of the metabolic
system. When drunk, it is good for liver
and gall bladder conditions. Bademli Bahçe
Thermal Springs: Between the center of
Bursa and the neighborhood of Çekirge.
There are 7 springs here. The Kükürtlü
Hotel and the baths at Yeni Kaplıca,
Kaynarca and Karamustafapaşa are
connected to these springs. The water are
sulphurous and radioactive. Bathing and
drinking treatments have the same effects
as was described above for the Vakıfbahçe
springs. In addition the sulphurous waters
are good for chronic infections and
peripheral circulation.
Dümbüldek Thermal Springs:
Located in the village of Akarca 19 km
from Mustafakemalpaşa, it has hotels
and baths operated by the local
municipality. The bath treatments are good
for aches and pains and because it helps
peripheral circulation it reduces
wrinkling and is good for the appearance
of the skin. When drunk, it is effective
in treating liver, stomach, intestine,
pancreas and gall bladder disorders.
Gemlik (Terme) Thermal Springs:
On the Umurbey road south of Gemlik, it
has a 68-bed hotel, a restaurant and a
pool. The spring waters are good for
rheumatism, nephritis, mental fatigue and
cardiovascular conditions.
Armutlu Thermal Springs: In the
district of Gemlik 4 km north of Armutlu
Bucağı, it is situated in a
valley of forest and scrub trees and there
are a number of springs along the creek
bed, the most important of which are the
springs of Küpeli and Hamam. There is a
72-bed tourist hotel with a restaurant
that seats 90 as well as a Turkish Bath.
Permission has been granted for the
building of a 3 star hotel with 108 beds
at the site. The hot springs treatments
include bathing, drinking and mud baths
and are good for rheumatism, gout,
nephritis, skin conditions and
gynecological disorders.
MUSEUMS
The Museum of 17th century Ottoman
Houses
The wooden house in the neighborhood of
Muradiye across from the Murad II mosque
complex bears all the characteristics of a
house planned and decorated in the 17th
century and is one of the oldest houses in
Bursa and without question the most
beautiful. It has a vaulted hall opening
onto the garden and a basement consisting
of two low-ceilinged rooms that were used
for winter storage. On the upper floor in
what was called the head room, there is an
elegant decor with a magnificent wooden
cabinet with intricate engravings of
flowers and plants and the wooden ceiling
decorated with geometric shapes and a
six-sided ceiling centerpiece, which
reflect the characteristics and beauty of
17th century decorations.
Museum Tel : (+90-224) 222 08 68
Open hours to visit :
08.00-12.00/13.00-17.00
Open days to visit : Everyday exept monday
The Archeological Museum
The museum was first established in
1904 in the Bursa Boys Highschool and was
called the Imperial Museum (Hümayun).
From 1972 to the present the museum has
been located inside the Cultural Park.
With many exhibits found in the region of
Bithynia and Mysia, it has a cross-section
of cultural items from as early as the 3rd
millenium BC to the end of the Byzantine
era. The most important exhibits are the
fired clay ceramics found in the Yortan
Graves in the region of Balıkesir
(3rd century BC), the stone cutting
instruments and bronze hand axes (2nd
century BC) and the clay jugs and brooches
from the Phrygian era and a Phrygian
inscription. In the same display, there
two very rare stele in Persian and Greek.
The second salon has stone items from
the Roman era. Items of interest here
include portrait sculpture of the 2nd
century AD and several depictions of the
gods: busts of Zeus and some reliefs,
reliefs of Herakles and statues of Cybele
as well as a altar of Asklepios.
The third salon is an exhibit of items
from the classical era. There is a
chronological exhibit of ceramic items
from the Archaic, Classic, Roman and
Byzantine periods. There is also a rich
detailed selection of clay figurines and
glass-ware from the Roman era taken from
the museums collection. Other rare items
include a bronze bust of Apollon and a
statue of Athena, both of which are Roman.
The fourth salon is a chronological
display of coins issued by the cities in
the Bithynia and Mysia regions, along with
gold and silver coins of the Roman and
Byzantine Empires. In the garden are busts
of Herakles and Zeus, a lion statue and a
rich collection of grave and altar steles.
Especially interesting is an exhibition of
the finest examples of tomb steles, of
Early Roman to Late Byzantine, and
sarcophagi belonging to the same age which
can be seen here.
Tel : (+90-224) 234 49 18-9
Open hours to visit :
08.00-12.00/13.00-17.00
Open days to visit : Everyday exept monday
The Museum of Türk-İslam Art (Yeşil
Medrese)
One of the first Ottoman religious
schools, the Yeşil Medrese is also
known as the Sultaniye Medresesi. A number
of famous scholars were trained here in
this school, which, along with the Yeşil
Külliyesi (mosque complex), was
constructed by the architect, Hacı
İvaz Paşa, between 1414 and
1424. It is very similar in design to the
religious schools of the Anatolian Selçuks
with their open courtyards. The school has
13 rooms with one main vaulted porch (eyvan),
two side porches and an entrance porch. In
front of the classrooms is a portico which
surrounds the courtyard on three sides.
In the building items from the 12th to
the 20th century are on display and
include ceramics, metal, wood carvings,
weapons, hand-written documents, Islamic
coins and inscriptions, as well as grave
stones and ethnographic items. The ceramic
tile decorations in the school are not as
abundant as those in the mosque and tomb.
The areas decorated with ceramic tile are
the vault above the entrance and the
ceiling and outer surface of the western
vaulted porch.
Tel : (+90-224) 327 76 79
Open hours to visit :
08.00-12.00/13.00-17.00
Open days to visit : Everyday exept monday
Atatürk Museum
This building, which Atatürk stayed in
upon his visits to Bursa, was given to him
as a gift and he donated it to the City of
Bursa in 1938. This two-story building
made entirely of wood at the beginning of
the 19th century is one of the era's best
and most interesting examples of civil
architecture. It looks today exactly as it
did when it was built. Located on Çekirge
street next to the Çelik Palas Hotel, the
museum has items that Atatürk himself
used and the upper floor, called the 'limonluk'
room has a display of photographs of Atatürk.
Tel : (+90-224) 236 48 44
Open hours to visit :
08.00-12.00/13.00-17.00
Open days to visit : Everyday exept monday
Hüsnü Züber House Museum
In the neighborhood of Muradiya, it was
first used as a State Guesthouse and then
as the Russian Consulate. The 19th century
Ottoman house was opened to tourists in
1992. The museum has an extensive
collection of branded and burned wood
pieces with Ottoman motifs made by the
artist Hüsnü Züber.
Müze Tel : (+90-224) 221 35 42
Open hours to visit : 10.00-17.00
Open days to visit : Everyday
The Forestry Museum
The first and only Forestry museum in
Turkey, it is known as the Watch Mansion
and is located on Çekirge Street. Opened
in 1989, there are around 2000 items on
display including plant and animal
fossils, forestry and communication
devices, maps and photographs and
documents regarding the history of
forestry.
Müze Tel : (+90-224) 234 77 18
Open hours to visit :
08.00-12.00/13.00-17.00
Open days to visit : Everyday exept sunday
Mudanya Mütareke House Museum
The site of the cease-fire agreement
signed on October 11 between the
government of the Turkish Republic and the
Allied forces which brought the Turkish -
Greek War to an end, the 19th century
house on the coastal road to Mudanya has
been used as a museum since 1937. The Art
Nouveo style house contains a number of
documents and other items related to the
War of Independence and the Armistice..
Müze Tel : (+90-224) 544 10 68
Open hours to visit :
08.00-12.00/13.00-17.00
Open days to visit : Everyday exept sunday
RELIGIOUS
MONUMENTS AND TOMBS
Yeşil Mosque ( Bursa), Yeşil
(Çelebi Sultan Mehmet) Tomb, Ulu Mosque (Cami
Kebir), Muradiye (Murat II) Mosque and the
Muradiye Medresesi, Emir Sultan Mosque and
Tomb, Yıldırım Mosque, Yıldırım
Tomb, Yıldırım Complex, Yeşil
Complex, the Tomb of Osman Gazi, the Tomb
of Orhan Gazi, Muradiye (Murat II) Mosque,
the Tomb of Hatuniye, the Tomb of Şehzade
Mahmut, the Tomb of Şehzade Mustafa
(Mustafa Cedid), the Tomb of Şehzade
Mustafa (Ahmet) (Cem Sultan), The Tomb of
Mükrime Hatun, the Tomb of Ara Mustafa Paşa,
the Tomb of Hamzabey and the Orhan Bey
Mosque.
Churches and Synagogues
Bursa is one of the provinces which has
been the cradle of a number of
civilizations and religious from the
pre-Christian era to the present. There
are many Christian, Jewish and Muslim
structures still standing and now under
government protection. Of the 17 church
councils so important for the Christian
faith convened between 324 and 1563, eight
of them were held in Turkey and the 1st
and 7th were held in Iznik. Iznik is one
of 8 different pilgrimage points in Turkey
and the most important.
Geruş Synagogue: Selim II
had the synagogue built at the beginning
of the 16th century. It is located on Arap
Şükrü Street. The Jews exiled from
Spain at the end of the 14th century and
were put on galleons sent by the Ottoman
Empire and given refuge. The first groups
were settled in Bursa and this synagogue
was built for them. The fact that this
synagogue was called Gerush, which means
'driven away' in Hebrew, is very symbolic
of their suffering.
The Geruş Synagogue is still in
excellent shape today. It is
well-maintained and open for worshippers.
The medallions found on either side of the
Ehal Akodesh cabinet, where the Torah is
kept, have Hebraic inscriptions recording
the construction date and the name of the
master builder. There is no other
inscription showing any other details of
construction.
Ets Ahayim Synagogue: (The Tree
of Life) It is a significant synagogue in
that it is the first one built during the
Ottoman period. A imperial edict made
during the reign of Orhan Bey, the
conqueror of Bursa, gave permission for
the establishment of this synagogue.
Mayor Synagogue: The groups of
Jews from the Spanish island of Mallorca
who were offered refuge by the Ottoman
Empire were settled in Bursa and built
this synagogue. The name is derived from
the name of the island from which they had
come. The synagogue is presently open for
events and the section reserved for the
washing of the dead is still being used.
The French Church: Built of
stone, the pulpit and mihrab are in
separate small rooms. The church is
covered with a roof of wood and clay
tiles. There was a recovery room for the
sick here. It is thought to have been
built in the 19th century.
H. Georgios Church: (Gölyazı)
Built in the second half of the 19th
century, the church is a rectangle whose
walls are built using alternating layers
of brick and rubble. Part of the original
wood structure remains.
The Church of Harmanlı Village:
(Karacabey) Started in 1833, the building
was not finished until 1903. Today the
roof of the church is gone and many of the
walls have fallen down.
İznik Church: (İznik)
A rectangular church most likely built in
the 7th century. There are 9 different
sections in the church. The walls are made
of stone and brick and the vaults in the
ceiling are brick.
Koımesıs Tes Theotokos:
(İznik) Koimesis means the 'Death of
Mary.' The church is believed to have been
built in the 8th century and gets its name
from the frescoes portraying the death of
Mary. The church was completely destroyed
in 1922. Only the marble foundations
remain.
The Church of St. Tryphonos: (İznik)
Built by the edict of Emperor T. Laskaris
in the 8th century, it has a rectangular
design with four supports in the shape of
a Greek cross. The walls are built using
the alternating technique, in which one
layer of rubble is covered with two to
four layers of brick. The column and
column heading are marble.
The Church of Karakoca Village:
(Karacabey) The church was built in 1847
in honor of Zoodochos Pege. Today little
more than a ruin, the top level has
completely fallen in.
Koımesıs Tes Theotokos:
(Demirtaş) Built in 1834 and
converted to a mosque in 1924, the church
is a basilica. The walls are made of brick
and rubble.
The Church of H. Konstantınos:
(Helena) (Gölyazı) Found on the
Manastir Island in Lake Uluabat, the
church was built in the 4th and 5th
centuries. The walls of this Greek - cross
type church are made of 5 levels of brick
alternating with a level of rough cut
stone.
The Church of Kumyaka: (Mudanya)
Built between 780-797 AD during the reign
of the Byzantine Emperor Konstantinos
Porphyrogenetos IV, the church is a square
with a large dome in the middle and 4
vaulted sides forming the shape of a cross
. The walls are made of brick and stone
and the roof is tile.
The Church of Michael Taxiarches:
(Demirtaş) The church was built in
the 19th century and turned into a mosque
in 1948. It is a rectangular structure
with a wooden ceiling. The inner walls
made of rubble were taken out.
The Church of Mudanya: (Mudanya)
Built in 1834, the church is rectangular
in shape. On the eastern side of the
church there is a half-circle apse. The
walls made of cut stone are covered in
places with marble.
The Church of Theodoros: (Çalı)
Two parts of this Byzantine structure
remain here. One is the remains of a wall
of a city of antiquity upon which a
village was later constructed. The other
is The Church of St. Theodoros. Little is
known about this church.
Yıldırım Medresesi:
(Religious School) Northwest of the Yıldırım
Mosque, it was built by Bayezit in 1399.
Entering from the door, one sees a domed
porch with 3 sides. There are 8 vaulted
rooms leading into the porches from the
right and the left. There are rooms for
the teachers (hoca) on both sides of the
entrances. The side porches are connected
to vaulted classrooms. After being
restored the school was used as a
dispensary.
return
to top destinations
