Bursa

The first Ottoman capital, with the World Heritage Green Mosque and Grand Mosque, silk caravanserais, İskender kebab, hot springs and the Uludağ cable car.

Bursa lies in the Marmara region of northwestern Turkey, backed by 2,543-m Uludağ and about 150 km from Istanbul. It was the first capital of the Ottoman Empire (1326–1365). The Grand Mosque, the Green Mosque and Green Tomb, the Muradiye Complex, the Yıldırım Bayezid Complex and the village of Cumalıkızık on the eastern outskirts together form the World Heritage Site "Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the Birth of the Ottoman Empire". The city centre revolves around the Koza Han silk caravanserai and the Grand Bazaar, from where you can walk to the Grand Mosque, the Tophane tombs and Irgandı Bridge; Çekirge in the west is the traditional hot-spring district; and a cable car from the south of the city climbs Uludağ for skiing in winter and cool mountain air in summer. As for food, İskender kebab was born here, and candied chestnuts and a village breakfast in Cumalıkızık are also worth trying. Getting there: fast ferries run from Yenikapı in Istanbul to Mudanya or Yalova, followed by a bus into the city—about 2–3 hours in total; long-distance buses from Istanbul are another option. The city has a metro, trams and buses, though taxis are the usual way between sights. The best seasons are Apr–May and Sep–Oct; Dec–Mar is ski season; summers in the city below can be muggy. Plan on 2–3 days: one for the old town, one for Uludağ or Cumalıkızık, and a third for İznik or Gölyazı. When visiting mosques, dress modestly and mind prayer times.

Top sights

• Grand Mosque of Bursa (Ulu Cami) – Completed in 1399, this early Ottoman mosque has twenty domes. Its interior calligraphy walls and ablution fountain are unique.
• Green Mosque (Yeşil Camii) – Completed in 1421 and famous for its walls of Iznik green and blue tiles, it is the peak of early Ottoman architecture.
• Green Tomb (Yeşil Türbe) – The octagonal mausoleum of Mehmed I, its exterior covered entirely in turquoise tiles, and a symbol of the city of Bursa.
• Koza Han – A silk caravanserai completed in 1491, with a small mosque in the centre of its courtyard. It remains a centre for silk scarves and cocoon…
• Cumalıkızık – A well-preserved early Ottoman village with colourful timber houses and stone-paved lanes. It is part of a World Heritage property.
• Bursa Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı & Bedesten) – A covered market complex dating back to the 14th century, built around the historic bedesten. It sells silk scarves, towels, knives and swe…
• Orhan Gazi Mosque – A mosque completed in 1339 with an inverted T-shaped floor plan, and the centrepiece of the Orhan complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Tophane & Tombs of Osman and Orhan – The tombs of Osman and Orhan, the first two sultans of the Ottoman Empire. A clock tower park nearby offers views over the whole city.
• Muradiye Complex – A mosque and royal mausoleum complex built by Murad II. More than ten tombs are scattered through a garden, and many interiors are richly d…
• Emir Sultan Mosque – A mosque and mausoleum dedicated to Emir Sultan, Bursa's patron saint. It is in the Ottoman Baroque style and attracts many pilgrims.
• Yıldırım Bayezid Mosque – A mosque complex completed by Bayezid I in 1395, including his tomb. It is a model of early Ottoman architecture.
• Irgandı Bridge – A shop bridge built in 1442. Craft shops line both sides, and it is one of the few shop bridges in the world still in use.
• Bursa City Museum – A city museum in a former courthouse, covering Bursa's history from its founding to the present, along with its traditional crafts.
• Panorama 1326 Bursa Conquest Museum – A 360-degree panoramic painting recreating the Ottoman capture of Bursa in 1326, with sound and light effects.
• Karagöz Museum – A museum devoted to Karagöz, the traditional Turkish shadow puppet theatre. Bursa is the home of this UNESCO-listed art form.
• Çekirge Hot Springs (Eski Kaplıca) – The hot spring district on the western side of Bursa. Its bathhouses date back to the Byzantine era, and the Old Thermal Bath offers a trad…
• Yeni Kaplıca – A thermal bath built in 1555 by Rüstem Pasha. Its marble dome and İznik tilework are well preserved.
• Bursa Uludağ Gondola (Teleferik) – A cable car about 9 kilometres long that runs from the city's Teleferik station up to the Uludağ hotel area, with views over the Bursa plai…
• Uludağ – Uludağ, an ancient Mount Olympus at 2,543 metres, is Turkey's most famous ski resort and is also good for hiking and picnics in summer.
• Misi Village (Gümüştepe) – An old village in the Nilüfer Valley with stone houses, riverside tea houses and flatbread snacks. It is a weekend getaway for locals.
• İnkaya Plane Tree – A plane tree about 600 years old, with a trunk more than 9 metres in circumference. The tea garden beneath it is a favourite spot for local…
• Mudanya – A harbour town on the Marmara Sea with a seafront promenade, old wooden houses and the Armistice Museum. Fast ferries run from here to Ista…
• Tirilye (Zeytinbağı) – A former Greek fishing village surrounded by stone houses, Byzantine church ruins and olive groves. The seaside seafood restaurants are wel…
• Gölyazı – A peninsula fishing village on Lake Uluabat, known for its sunsets, storks and ancient ruins, and nicknamed 'the Venice of Turkey'.
• İznik – The ancient city of Nicaea, site of the First Council of Nicaea and famous for its well-preserved walls and İznik pottery.

Where to eat

• İskender Tarihi Ahşap Dükkan – The historic wooden shop run by the descendants of the founding family since 1867, serving almost exclusively İskender…
• Uludağ Kebapçısı Cemal & Cemil Usta – A popular local kebab shop opened in 1964, known as "Garaj İskender," offering a great alternative to the oldest histor…
• Kayhan Köftecisi – A family-run meatball restaurant that grew from a tiny stall, famous for its pide köfte served with butter, yogurt, and…
• Rumeli Kardeşler Sofrası – A traditional tradesman restaurant operating since 1950, offering a daily rotating menu of affordable Ottoman and local…
• Zennup 1844 – An Anatolian restaurant recreating grandmother's recipes in copper pots and earthenware, serving small portions perfect…

Itineraries

• Istanbul & Bursa: Double Ottoman Capitals – Spend two days in Istanbul, then cross the Sea of Marmara to the first Ottoman capital of Bursa and its UNESCO-listed h…