A Day in the First Ottoman Capital
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Bursa was the Ottoman capital from 1326 to 1365 and the buildings of those forty years still stand. This route crosses the city from top to bottom, from foundation to maturity: beginning at the tomb of the state's founder, moving to the twenty domed Ulu Mosque, to a han that has sold silk for five hundred years, and finally down to the Green Mosque and Green Tomb, regarded as the height of early Ottoman architecture. Five stops, about three kilometres, a full day.
Route Stops
Tophane and the Tomb of Osman Gazi.
The oldest core of the city, where fragments of the Byzantine walls remain, along with the tombs of Osman and Orhan Gazi and a viewing terrace. Everything you will walk below is visible from here; map out the day.
Bursa Grand Mosque.
Ten minutes down from the hill. Twenty domes, a fountain directly beneath the centre, and the dome above it left open so light falls straight onto the pool. The nearly one hundred and ninety calligraphic panels are a collection in themselves.
Koza Han.
Right beside the mosque. A han that has sold silk since 1491; the prayer room in its courtyard stands above a pool and tea is drunk beneath the plane tree. This is where the source of Bursa's wealth becomes visible.
Green Mosque.
Two kilometres east. Completed in 1421, this is considered the most accomplished example of early Ottoman architecture, its mihrab wall tiled from top to bottom. Do not miss the workmanship of the sultan's loge.
Green Mausoleum.
Directly opposite the mosque. The octagonal tomb clad in turquoise tile is recognisable from all over the city, and the cenotaph inside is the height of tile work. The right place to close the route.
