Gümüştepe (Misi Köyü)

Gümüştepe is an old village in the south-west of Bursa, set in the narrow valley of the Nilüfer stream that comes down from the foothills of Uludağ, and everyone still calls it Misi. It lies about 12 kilometres from the city centre on the Bursa-Orhaneli road, surrounded by four forested hills. The village was renamed Gümüştepe in 1961, became a neighbourhood of Nilüfer in 1987 and was declared an urban conservation site in 1989. The 2013 census recorded 1,257 residents. The name Misi is thought to derive from the region of Mysia mentioned by Homer, Herodotus and Strabo; a local tradition also says that Mysos means hornbeam and that Uludağ was once known by this name because of its hornbeam trees. The stream running through the valley is called Odrysses in Strabo; it is said to have later been named Silvardos, meaning "silver river", and finally Nilüfer. Strabo writes that the Mysians migrated from Thrace to the southern Marmara; this people is said to have mixed with the Romans and survived until the 5th century CE, after which Eastern Roman rule began in the region. A surface survey carried out around the village in 2016 identified a settlement at Karapınar dated to the late 6th century BCE. Traces from Late Antiquity and the Byzantine period at Salavat and Kalander, a tumulus at Demirci, a necropolis at Salavat, and a watchtower castle with architectural fragments at Hisarlık were recorded in the 2018 Nilüfer Archaeological Cultural Inventory. Because of the sheltered shape of the valley, monasteries were founded here over the centuries, and the remains of the Misipoli monastery are said to be visible today. Misi joined Ottoman territory in 1316, about ten years before the conquest of Bursa; Orhan Gazi is said to have built a fortress here during the siege. According to one legend, Misi also served as a temporary centre until Bursa was taken. Caravans heading for Bursa crossed the Nilüfer stream by the bridge at Misi; the roads to Dağyenice and towards Çalı, Hasanağa and Kayapa part here. The old road went from central Bursa to Çekirge, then via Dobruca down into the valley to Misi; this is why the village is regarded as a junction linking the city to the east and south. The fabric of Misi today consists of houses from the 17th and 18th centuries. The houses are built of timber frames filled with adobe; a study published in the Turkish Academy of Sciences Journal of Cultural Inventory notes that this construction technique, plan layout and material are largely the same as those of the Cumalıkızık houses on the UNESCO list. High ceilings and wide porches were made for silkworm rearing; in the cocoon season at least one room in every house was set aside for the worms, and Misi cocoons were known for their quality. As in the other villages of Nilüfer, silk production has ended here, but the women of the village keep up silk-related handicrafts. The village's second livelihood was viticulture; yellow grapes were grown on poor soils and small black misket grapes in the vineyards, and in abundant years the grapes were turned into pekmez, grape molasses. Vineyard products were shipped abroad from Mudanya until the First World War; viticulture declined in the 2000s, and today vine leaves, misket grapes and pekmez are the village's known products. Enter the village on foot along the bank of the Nilüfer stream. From the bridge over the stream you get the best view of the houses' projecting bays, tiled roofs and porches; the streets are steep and narrow, so comfortable shoes are needed. Some of the houses restored by the municipality are used as culture and handicraft venues; a branch of the Writers' Houses that Nilüfer Municipality runs for writers and academics is also here. The road down from the square to the stream is shaded by poplars and plane trees; the valley is one of the weekend picnic spots of Bursa's residents. The tea gardens along the stream are a regular stop for those who want to escape the crowds of the city and sit by the water. The neighbourhood also has a primary school and a children's library. Since the 2010s the metropolitan and district municipalities have aimed to turn the village into a living historic site like Cumalıkızık through stream regulation, facade improvements and restoration of registered buildings, so it is normal to come across a house under repair as you walk. The village is small in scale; seeing its houses and the stream bank without hurrying takes two hours. Gümüştepe neighbourhood buses run directly from the city centre; check the public transport operator's page for current lines and times. Those arriving by car should park in the area at the village entrance and walk, because the historic streets are too narrow for vehicles. There is a municipal camping and caravan area near the village. Nilüfer Municipality planned it in 2012 together with the Uludağ Camping and Caravan Association as Bursa's first camping and caravan area, on a plot of about 12 decares; the project included a tent camp, a picnic area and shared facility buildings. Misi is less known than Cumalıkızık but quieter, a village explored to the sound of the stream, and it can be seen on the same day as Gölyazı.