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Bursa, Turkey

Bursa, Turkey

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Bursa (historically also known as Prusa, Greek
Greek language
Greek , an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, is the language of the Greeks. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. In its ancient form, it is the language of classical...

: Προύσα, and later as Brusa) is a city in northwestern Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...

 and the seat of Bursa Province
Bursa Province
Bursa is a province in western Turkey, along the Sea of Marmara. Its adjacent provinces are Balıkesir to the west, Kütahya to the south, Bilecik and Sakarya to the east, Kocaeli to the northeast and Yalova to the north. The province has an area of 11,043 km2 and a population of 2,413,971...

. With a population of 2,562,828 in 2007, it is Turkey's fourth largest city, as well as one of the most industrialized and culturally charged metropolitan centers in the country.

Bursa is settled on the northwestern slopes of Mount Uludağ
Uludag
Uludağ, the ancient Mysian Olympus, is a mountain in Bursa Province, Turkey, with an altitude of . It is a popular center for winter sports such as skiing, and a national park of rich flora and fauna...

 in the southern Marmara Region
Marmara Region
The Marmara Region , with a surface area of 67.000 km², is the smallest but most densely populated of the seven geographical regions of Turkey...

. It is bordered by the Sea of Marmara
Sea of Marmara
The Sea of Marmara , also known as the Sea of Marmora or the Marmara Sea, and in the context of classical antiquity as Propontis , is the inland sea that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, thus separating Turkey's Asian and European parts. The Bosporus strait connects it to the Black Sea and...

 and Yalova
Yalova
Yalova is a city located in northwestern Turkey, on the eastern coast of the Sea of Marmara, and is the capital of the Yalova Province. Yalova has a city population of 70,858, while the population of the Yalova Province is 188,440.- Etymology :...

 to the north; Kocaeli and Sakarya
Sakarya
The Sakarya is a river in Asia Minor. It is the third longest river of Turkey, and runs through what in ancient times was known as Phrygia....

 to the northeast; Bilecik
Bilecik
Bilecik is the provincial capital of Turkey's Bilecik Province.Along with its districts, it is the birthplace of the Osmanlı dynasty, whose members founded the Ottoman Empire....

 to the east; and Kütahya
Kütahya
Kütahya is a city in western Turkey with 213,000 inhabitants , lying on the Porsuk river, at 969 metres above sea level. It is the capital of Kütahya Province, inhabited by some 684,082 people...

 and Balıkesir
Balikesir
Balıkesir is the capital city of Balıkesir Province. Balıkesir is in the Marmara region of Turkey and has a population of 247.072 inhabitants. Old name is Karesi.- History :...

 to the south.

The city is frequently cited as "Yeşil Bursa" (meaning "Green Bursa") in a reference to the parks and gardens located across its urban tissue, as well as to the vast forests in rich variety that extend in its surrounding region. The city is synonymous with Mount Uludağ which towers behind its core and which is also a famous ski resort
Ski resort
A ski area is a developed recreational facility, usually on a mountain or large hill, containing ski trails and vital supporting services. It is common for a ski area to have food, rental equipment, parking facilities and a ski lift system catering to the sports of skiing and snowboarding...

. The mausoleums of early Ottoman sultans
Ottoman Dynasty
The Ottoman Dynasty ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1299 to 1922, beginning with Osman I , though the dynasty was not proclaimed until Orhan Bey declared himself sultan...

 are located in Bursa and the numerous edifices built throughout the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...

 period constitute the city's main landmarks. The surrounding fertile plain, its thermal bath
Thermal bath
A thermal bath is a warm body of water. It is often referred to as a spa, which is traditionally used to mean a place where the water is believed to have special health-giving properties, though note that many spas offer cold water or mineral water treatments.A thermal bath may be part of a...

s, several interesting museums, notably a rich museum of archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology or archeology is the science that studies human cultures through the recovery, documentation, analysis, and interpretation of material culture and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, biofacts, and landscapes...

, and a rather orderly urban growth are further principal elements that complete Bursa's overall picture.

Karagöz and Hacivat
Karagöz and Hacivat
Karagöz and Hacivat are the lead characters of the traditional Turkish shadow play, popularized during the Ottoman period...

 shadow play
Shadow play
Shadow play or shadow puppetry is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment using opaque, often articulated figures in front of an illuminated backdrop to create the illusion of moving images. It is popular in various cultures...

 characters were historic personalities who lived and are buried in Bursa. Bursa is also home to some of the most famous Turkish dishes
Cuisine of Turkey
Turkish cuisine is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine, which can be described as a fusion and refinement of Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. Turkish cuisine has in turn influenced those and other neighbouring cuisines, including that of western Europe...

, especially candied chestnut
Chestnut
Chestnut is a genus of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the beech family Fagaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.-Species:The Chestnut belongs to the same Fagaceae family as the Oak and Beech...

s and İskender kebap
Iskender kebap
İskender kebab is one of the most famous meat foods of Northwestern Turkey and takes its name from its inventor, İskender Efendi, who lived in Bursa in the late 19th century...

. Its peach
Peach
The peach is known as a species of Prunus native to China that bears an edible juicy fruit also called a peach. It is a deciduous tree growing to 4–10 m tall, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae...

es are also well-renowned. Among its depending district centers, İznik
Iznik
İznik is a city in Turkey which is known primarily as the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea, the first and seventh Ecumenical councils in the early history of the Christian church, the Nicene Creed, and as the capital city of the Empire of Nicaea...

, historic Nicaea
Nicaea
Nicaea or Nikaia may be:*The ancient name of several places, including:**Nicaea , capital of the Empire of Nicaea and known today as İznik, Turkey, famous for the Councils of Nicaea**Nice, France...

, is especially notable for its long history and important edifices. Bursa is home to the Uludağ University
Uludag University
Uludag University is one of the most remarkable universities in Turkey. The university is located in Bursa, Turkey. The research and education conducted by the university has an emphasis on engineering, natural sciences and art. In particular, Mechanical Engineering Department has several...

, and its population attains one of the highest overall levels of education in Turkey. The city has traditionally been a pole of attraction, and was a major center for refugees from various ethnic backgrounds who immigrated to Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic region of Western Asia, comprising most of the modern Republic of Turkey. The region is bounded by the Black Sea to the north, the Caucasus to the northeast, the Iranian plateau to the southeast, the Mediterranean Sea to the south and the Aegean Sea to the west...

 from the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...

 during the loss of the Ottoman territories in Europe between the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

History



The earliest known site at this location was Cius
Cius
Cius-Kios was an ancient Greek city bordering the Propontis , in Bithynia , and had as such a long history, being mentioned by Homer, Aristoteles and Strabo...

, which Philip V of Macedon
Philip V of Macedon
Philip V was King of Macedon from 221 BC to 179 BC. Philip's reign was principally marked by an unsuccessful struggle with the emerging power of Rome.-Early life:...

ia granted to the Bithynia
Bithynia
Bithynia was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor, adjoining the Propontis, the Thracian Bosporus and the Euxine .-Description:...

n king Prusias I
Prusias I of Bithynia
Prusias I Cholus was a king of Bithynia. The son of Ziaelas, he formed a marriage alliance with Demetrius II of Macedon, receiving the latter's daughter, Apama, as his wife....

 in 202 BC, for his help against Pergamum and Heraclea Pontica
Heraclea Pontica
Heraclea Pontica , an ancient city on the coast of Bithynia in Asia Minor, at the mouth of the river Lycus...

 (modern Karadeniz Ereğli
Karadeniz Eregli
Karadeniz Ereğli is a city and district in Zonguldak Province of Turkey, on the Black Sea shore at the mouth of the Kılıçsu River.-Facts:Modern Ereğli is the home of Erdemir, Turkey's largest steel plant. It has a large natural harbour, located in the lee of Baba Burnu and therefore one of the few...

). Prusias renamed the city after himself, as Prusa.

Prusa evolved into one of the largest cities of Mysia
Mysia
Mysia was a region in the northwest of ancient Asia Minor or Anatolia . It was located on the south coast of the Sea of Marmara. It was bounded by Bithynia on the east, Phrygia on the southeast, Lydia on the south, Aeolis on the southwest, Troad on the west and by the Propontis on the north...

 and retained its importance for the region throughout the Hellenistic, Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...

 and Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...

 periods. Its strategic location on the westernmost end of the famous Silk Road
Silk Road
The Silk Road is an extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, as well as North and Northeast Africa and Europe...

 ensured Prusa to remain as one of the largest centers of silk trade throughout the Medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...

 period.

Bursa became the first major capital city of the early Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...

 following its capture from the Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...

 in 1326. As a result, the city witnessed a considerable amount of urban growth throughout the 14th century. After conquering Edirne
Edirne
Edirne is a city in Thrace, the westernmost part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, when Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne Province in...

 (Adrianople) in 1365 the Ottomans turned it into a joint capital city for governing their European realms, but Bursa remained the most important Anatolian administrative and commercial center even after it lost its status as the sole Ottoman capital. The Ottoman sultan Bayezid I
Bayezid I
Bayezid I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, then Rûm, from 1389 to 1402...

 built the Bayezid Külliyesi (Bayezid I theological complex) in Bursa between 1390 and 1395 and the Ulu Cami (Great Mosque) between 1396 and 1400.

During the Ottoman period, Bursa continued to be the source of most royal silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from cocoons made by the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...

 products. Aside from the local silk production, the city imported raw silk from Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran is a country in Western Asia. The name Iran has been in use natively since the Sassanid period and came into international use from 1935, before which the country was known internationally as Persia...

, and occasionally from China
China
China is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....

, and was the main production center for the kaftans, pillows, embroidery and other silk products for the Ottoman palaces until the 17th century.

Another traditional artisanship in the city, among many others, is knife
Knife
A knife is any cutting edge or blade, handheld or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools. Originally made of rock, flint, and obsidian; knives have evolved in construction as technology has with blades...

 production, which still continues today. Historically, the city was a center for the production of horse carriages during the Ottoman period. In the latter half of the 20th century, Bursa became the largest center of motor vehicle
Motor vehicle
A motor vehicle is a wheeled vehicle whose propulsion is provided by an engine or motor . The internal combustion engine is the most common motor choice, although electric motors or other types are sometimes used. Motor vehicles or road vehicles typically run on public roads...

 production in Turkey.

Economy


Bursa is the center of the Turkish automotive industry
Automotive industry
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells the world's motor vehicles. In 2008, more than 70 million motor vehicles, including cars and commercial vehicles were produced worldwide....

. Factories of motor vehicle
Motor vehicle
A motor vehicle is a wheeled vehicle whose propulsion is provided by an engine or motor . The internal combustion engine is the most common motor choice, although electric motors or other types are sometimes used. Motor vehicles or road vehicles typically run on public roads...

 producers like FIAT
Fiat
Fiat S.p.A., an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial and industrial group based in Turin in the Piedmont region. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli. Fiat has also...

 and Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, buses, tractors, and trucks. Due to its alliance with Nissan, it is currently the world's fourth largest automaker. Headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, Renault owns the Romanian automaker Automobile Dacia and the Korean automaker Renault...

, as well as automotive parts producers like Bosch
Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH is a German diversified technology-based corporation which was started in 1886 by Robert Bosch in Stuttgart, Germany.Robert Bosch GmbH is the world's largest supplier of automobile components and has business relationships with virtually every automobile company in the world. The...

 have been active in the city for decades. The textile
Textile industry
The textile industry is a term used for industries primarily concerned with the design or manufacture of clothing as well as the distribution and use of textiles.-Cotton stage:...

 and food
Food industry
The food industry is the complex, global collective of diverse businesses that together supply much of the food energy consumed by the world population...

 industries are equally strong, with Coca Cola, Pepsi Cola and other beverage brands, as well as fresh and canned food industries being present in the city's organized industrial zones.

Traditionally, Bursa was famous for being the largest center of silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from cocoons made by the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...

 trade in the Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...

 and later the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...

 empires, during the period of the lucrative Silk Road
Silk Road
The Silk Road is an extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, as well as North and Northeast Africa and Europe...

. The city is still a major center for textiles in Turkey and is home to the Bursa International Textiles and Trade Center (Bursa Uluslararası Tekstil ve Ticaret Merkezi, or BUTTIM.) Bursa was also known for its fertile soil and agricultural activities, which have decreased in the recent decades due to the heavy industrialization of the city.

Bursa is a major center for tourism. One of the most popular skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a group of sports using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....

 resorts of Turkey is located at Uludağ
Uludag
Uludağ, the ancient Mysian Olympus, is a mountain in Bursa Province, Turkey, with an altitude of . It is a popular center for winter sports such as skiing, and a national park of rich flora and fauna...

 just next to the city proper. Bursa's thermal baths have been used for therapeutical purposes since Roman times
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...

. Apart from the baths that are operated by hotels, Uludağ University
Uludag University
Uludag University is one of the most remarkable universities in Turkey. The university is located in Bursa, Turkey. The research and education conducted by the university has an emphasis on engineering, natural sciences and art. In particular, Mechanical Engineering Department has several...

 has a physical therapy
Physical therapy
Physical therapy is a health care profession which provides services to individuals in order to develop, maintain and restore maximum movement and functional ability throughout life...

 center which also makes use of thermal water.

Education


Uludağ University
Uludag University
Uludag University is one of the most remarkable universities in Turkey. The university is located in Bursa, Turkey. The research and education conducted by the university has an emphasis on engineering, natural sciences and art. In particular, Mechanical Engineering Department has several...

 is located in Bursa and is a prominent university in Turkey's Marmara Region. It was founded in 1975, first as the Bursa University, then re-named as the Uludağ University in 1982. In the 2005–06 academic year, the university had a student body of 47,000.
Private Bilgi University has announced plans to open first a two-year and later a four-year university in Bursa within next four years.

Places of Interest






A brief list of places of interest in and around Bursa is presented below. For a longer list, see places of interest in Bursa
Places of interest in Bursa
- Fortresses and City Walls :* Bursa Kalesi * İznik Kalesi * Kestel Kalesi * Kite Kalesi * Yer Kapı * Pınarbaşı Kapısı * Zindan Kapı * Kaplıcalar Kapısı * İstanbul Kapısı...

.
  • Irgandi Covered Bridge
  • Yeşil Cami
    Yesil Cami
    Yeşil Mosque , also known as Mosque of Mehmed I, is a part of the larger complex located on the east side of Bursa, Turkey, the former capital of the Ottoman Turks before they captured Constantinople in 1453...

     or the Green Mosque
  • Uludağ National Park
  • Bursa city walls
    Defensive wall
    A defensive wall is a fortification used to defend a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...

  • Hot springs;
    • Çekirge
    • Armutlu
    • Oylat
    • Gemlik
  • Beaches;
    • Armutlu
    • Kumla
    • Kurşunlu
    • Mudanya
      Mudanya
      Mudanya , is a town and district of Bursa Province in the Marmara region of Turkey. It is located on the Gulf of Gemlik, part of the south coast of the Sea of Marmara. As of 1911, it was connected with Bursa by a railway and a carriage road, and with Istanbul by steamers...

  • Palace and Hipogeum
    • Orhan Mosque and complex
    • Muradiye
      Muradiye Complex
      The Muradiye Complex or the Complex of Sultan Murat II, the Ottoman sultan who ruled 1421-1451, is located in the city of Bursa in Turkey....

       complex
    • Yeşil complex
    • Bayezid I Mosque and complex (külliye
      Külliye
      Külliye, deriving from the Arabic word "kûl" is a term which designates a complex of buildings, centered around a mosque and managed within a single institution, often based on a vakıf , and composed of a medrese, a darüşşifa, kitchens, bakery, hammam, other buildings for various benevolent...

      )
    • Emir Sultan Mosque
      Emir Sultan Mosque
      Emir Sultan Mosque is a mosque in Bursa, Turkey. First built in the 14th century, it was rebuilt in 1804 upon the orders of the Ottoman Sultan Selim III, and re-built again in 1868, along slightly varying plans each time....

       and complex (külliye
      Külliye
      Külliye, deriving from the Arabic word "kûl" is a term which designates a complex of buildings, centered around a mosque and managed within a single institution, often based on a vakıf , and composed of a medrese, a darüşşifa, kitchens, bakery, hammam, other buildings for various benevolent...

      )
    • Hüdavendigar complex
    • Koca Sinan Paşa complex
    • İshak Paşa complex
    • Çelik Palas, thermal bath
    • Bursa Grand Mosque
      Bursa Grand Mosque
      Bursa Grand Mosque or Ulu Camii is a mosque in Bursa, Turkey. Built in the Seljuk style, it was ordered by the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I and edificed between 1396 and 1400.- References :* at ArchNet.org- External links :* *...

    • Karacabey Grand Mosque
  • Yıldırım Bazaar
  • Museums;
    • Bursa Archeology Museum
    • Bursa City Museum http://www.bursakentmuzesi.gov.tr/
    • Bursa Atatürk Museum
    • Bursa Turkish Architecture Museum
    • Islamic Works Museum
    • Mudanya Armistice
    • İznik Museum
  • Cumalıkızık village

Ulu Cami (The Great Mosque)


Ulu Cami
Bursa Grand Mosque
Bursa Grand Mosque or Ulu Camii is a mosque in Bursa, Turkey. Built in the Seljuk style, it was ordered by the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I and edificed between 1396 and 1400.- References :* at ArchNet.org- External links :* *...

 is the largest mosque in Bursa and a landmark of early Ottoman architecture, which carried many elements from the Seljuk architecture. Ordered by Sultan Bayezid I
Bayezid I
Bayezid I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, then Rûm, from 1389 to 1402...

, the mosque was designed and built by architect Ali Neccar in 1396–1400. It is a large and rectangular building, with a total of twenty domes that are arranged in four rows of five, and are supported by twelve columns. Supposedly the twenty domes were built instead of the twenty separate mosques which Sultan Bayezid I
Bayezid I
Bayezid I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, then Rûm, from 1389 to 1402...

 had promised for winning the Battle of Nicopolis
Battle of Nicopolis
The Battle of Nicopolis took place on September 25, 1396, between the Ottoman Empire versus an allied force from the Kingdom of Hungary, France, the Knights Hospitaller, and the Republic of Venice, as well as smaller contingents and individuals from elsewhere in Europe, near the Danubian fortress...

 in 1396. The mosque has two minaret
Minaret
Minarets are distinctive architectural features of Islamic mosques. Minarets are generally tall spires with onion-shaped or conical crowns, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure.-Functions of minarets:The earliest mosques were built without minarets, the adhan...

s.

Inside the mosque there are 192 monumental wall inscriptions written by the famous calligraphers
Islamic calligraphy
Islamic calligraphy, colloquially known as Arabic calligraphy, is the art of artistic handwriting, or calligraphy, and by extension, of bookmaking. This art, associated with Islam, has most often employed the Arabic script, throughout many languages including Arabic...

 of that period. There is also a fountain (şadırvan) where worshipers can perform ritual ablutions before prayer; the dome over the şadırvan is capped by a skylight which creates a soft, serene light below; thus playing an important role in the illumination of the large building.

The horizontally spacious and dimly lit interior is designed to feel peaceful and contemplative. The subdivisions of space formed by multiple domes and pillars create a sense of privacy and even intimacy. This atmosphere contrasts with the later Ottoman mosques (see for example the works of Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1520 to his death in 1566...

's chief architect Sinan
Sinan
Koca Mimar Sinan Ağa was the chief Ottoman architect and civil engineer for sultans Suleiman I, Selim II, and Murad III. He was, during a period of fifty years, responsible for the construction or the supervision of every major building in the Ottoman Empire...

.) The mosques that were built after the conquest of Constantinople
Fall of Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire which occurred after a siege laid by the Ottoman Empire, under the command of Sultan Mehmed II. The siege lasted from Thursday, 5 April, 1453 until Tuesday, 29 May, 1453 , when the city fell to the Ottomans...

 (Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and fifth largest city proper in the world with a population of 12.6 million. Istanbul is also a megacity, as well as the cultural and financial centre of Turkey. The city covers 39 districts of the Istanbul province...

) by the Ottoman Turks in 1453, and influenced by the design of the 6th century Byzantine basilica of Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey...

, had increasingly elevated and large central domes, which create a vertical emphasis that is intended to be more overwhelming; in order to convey the divine power of Allah, the majesty of the Ottoman Sultan, and the governmental authority of the Ottoman State.

Twin towns—Sister cities


Bursa has twenty sister cities. Vinnitsa is the latest to become a sister city of Bursa. The dates when the sister city agreements entered into effect are shown in parentheses.
Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The city of Darmstadt was founded by the Counts of Katzenelnbogen in 1330, though settlement in the area is known to have been present as early as the late 11th century...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...

 (1971) Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 304,614 people in the four municipalities that make up the city proper, and an estimated urban area population of 421,289 people in the Sarajevo Canton . It is also the capital of the Federation of Bosnia and...

, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( or (Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian Latin: Bosna i Hercegovina; Serbian Cyrillic: Босна и Херцеговина) is a country in Southeast Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula...

 (1972) Multan
Multan
is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province. Multan District has a population of over 3.8 million—according to 1998 census—and the city itself is the sixth largest within the boundaries of Pakistan...

, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...

 (1975) Oulu
Oulu
Oulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the province of Oulu and the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the largest city in Northern Finland and the sixth largest city in the country. Its population growth rate is almost comparable with that of the Helsinki Metropolitan...

, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland
, is a Nordic country and democracy situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland...

 (1979) Tiffin
Tiffin, Ohio
Tiffin is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Seneca County. The population was 18,135 in the 2000 census. The National Arbor Day Foundation has designated Tiffin as a Tree City USA....

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 (1983) Kairouan
Kairouan
Kairouan Kairouan (Arabic القيروان) Kairouan (Arabic القيروان) (also known as Kirwan, Al Qayrawan, it is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia. It was founded by the Arabs in around 670 in the period of Caliph Mu'awiya and the original name was derived from Arabic kairuwân, from...

, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian Republic , is a country located in North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and Libya to the southeast. Tunisia is located southwest of the island of Sicily and south of Sardinia. Its size is almost 165,000 km² with an estimated population of just...

 (1987) Denizli
Denizli
Denizli is a growing industrial city in the eastern end of the alluvial valley formed by the river Büyük Menderes, where the plain reaches an elevation of about a hundred meters, in southwestern Turkey, in the country's Aegean Region....

, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...

 (1988) Anshan, China
People's Republic of China
The People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the most populous in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately one-fifth of the world's population...

 (1991) Bitola
Bitola
Bitola is a city in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. The city is an administrative, cultural, industrial, commercial, and educational centre...

, Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country in the central Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...

 (1996)
Ceadîr-Lunga
Ceadîr-Lunga
Ceadîr-Lunga is a city in Gagauzia, Moldova. The city's population is 19,401, of which 14,294 Gagauzians, 1,552 Russians, 1,510 Bulgarians, 734 Moldovans, 951 Ukrainians, 166 Gypsies, 8 Poles, 7 Jews, and 179 other/undeclared. It is twinned with Serpukhov, Russia....

, Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east and south....

 (1997) Qyzylorda
Qyzylorda
Kyzylorda is a city in Kazakhstan, capital of Kyzylorda Province. The city has a population of 157,400 . The Syr Darya river passes through the city....

, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a country situated in Eurasia that is ranked as the ninth largest country in the world. It is also the world's largest landlocked country. Its territory of 2,727,300 km² is greater than Western Europe...

 (1997) Muaskar
Muaskar
Mascara is the capital city of Mascara Province, Algeria, in northwestern Algeria. It has 150,000 inhabitants . The name Mascara comes from the Arabic "Mother of Soldiers"....

, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country located in North Africa. It is the largest country on the Mediterranean sea, the second largest on the African continent and the eleventh-largest country in the world in terms of land area.It is bordered by Tunisia in...

 (1998) Kulmbach
Kulmbach
Kulmbach is the capital of the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany. The City is famous for the Plassenburg Castle, which contains the largest pewter-figure museum of the world and its famous sausages, called "Bratwürste"....

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...

 (1998) Pleven
Pleven
Pleven is the seventh most populous city in Bulgaria. Located in the northern part of the country, it is the administrative centre of Pleven Province, as well as of the subordinate Pleven municipality....

, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...

 (1998) Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia, with a population of 380,312. Known in ancient times as Philippoupolis, it is the administrative center of Plovdiv Province in southern Bulgaria and three municipalities and Bulgaria's Yuzhen tsentralen planning region , as well as the...

, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...

 (1998) Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Albania. It was founded in 1614 by Sulejman Pasha and became Albania's capital city in 1920. The Municipality of Tirana lies on the river Ishëm, about inland and is located at in Tirana District, Tirana County...

, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially the Republic of Albania , is a Mediterranean country in South Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the north, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south-east...

 (1998) Košice
Košice
Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the Hornád River at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the borders with Hungary...

, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe with a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia borders the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is its capital, Bratislava...

 (2000) Vinnitsa, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...

 (2004) Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city by population in the European Union, with 1.4 million people living in the Capital Municipality...

, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...


Notable residents

  • Dio Chrysostom
    Dio Chrysostom
    Dio Chrysostom , Dion of Prusa or Dio Cocceianus was a Greek orator, writer, philosopher and historian of the Roman Empire in the first century. Eighty of his Discourses are extant, as well as a few Letters, a mildly entertaining essay In Praise of Hair, and other fragments...

    - Greek orator, writer, philosopher and historian of the Roman Empire
  • Adnan Şenses- singer
  • Ata Demirer
    Ata Demirer
    Ata Demirer is a Turkish stand-up comedian and actor. He played the role of Volkan in Avrupa Yakası, a TV series on ATV Turkey, and after leaving for a couple seasons, he is back on the show. He is also one of the best stand up comedians in Turkey.-Career:In April 2007, Ata Demirer started doing a...

    - comedian
  • Behice Boran
    Behice Boran
    Behice Boran was a Turkish Marxist, politician, author and sociologist.She graduated from Arnavutköy American Girl’s College in Istanbul, Turkey, and studied sociology at Michigan University in The United States. She received her PhD on sociology, and involved in Marxism...

    - the leader of the socialist Workers Party of Turkey
    Workers Party of Turkey
    Workers Party of Turkey was a Turkish political party, founded in 1961. It became the first socialist party in Turkey to win representation in the national parliament. It was banned twice and eventually merged with the Communist Party of Turkey in 1988.TİP was founded by a group of labor union...

  • Burcu Kara- actress, model
  • Celal Bayar
    Celal Bayar
    Mahmut Celal Bayar was a Turkish politician, statesman and the third President of Turkey. He is the longest lived former head of state, living over 103 years.-Early years:...

    - former Turkish
    Turkey
    Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...

     president
  • Emre Aşık
    Emre Asik
    Emre Aşık is a Turkish football player, who mainly plays defense. He currently plays for Turkish club Galatasaray-Club Career:...

    - international footballer
  • Erdal Özyağcılar
    Erdal Özyagcilar
    Erdal Özyağcılar is a Turkish actor, who has appeared in films, on the stage, and on television.- Biography :He was born in Bursa and started his acting career in 1967, with the movie "Ölüm Tarlası" . He is a theater artist as well as a screen actor, who had roles in many plays, movies and TV series...

    - actor
  • Erkan Can
    Erkan Can
    Erkan Can is a Turkish actor.He was born in Bursa in 1 January 1958. He gained experience at acting through the Bursa Republican Theatre and the Istanbul Belediye Theatre Conservatory...

    - actor
  • JönTürk- Turkish Rapper
  • Hamit Şare
    Hamit Sare
    Hamit Şare is an Olympic alpine skier discipline.Hamit began skiing at his five years of age. He joined the Turkish national ski team already in 1993. He won seven national titles, represented Turkey 79 times, and finished in the top 50 in the 2005 World Championships...

    - Olympic skier
  • Hande Ataizi- actress
  • Halil Ergün- actor
  • Hasan Kukaj-linguist,fluent in albanian,english,greek,italian,spanish,turkish;also he
  • İlhan İrem- singer
  • Barikat- rap grubu
  • Manolis Andronikos
    Manolis Andronikos
    Manolis Andronikos was a Greek archaeologist and a professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He was born on October 23, 1919 at Bursa . Later, his family moved to Thessaloniki....

     (1919–1992) Greek
    Greece
    Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula....

     archaeologist
  • Muazzez İlmiye Çığ
    Muazzez Ilmiye Çig
    Muazzez İlmiye Çığ is a Turkish archaeologist and Assyriologist who specializes in the study of Sumerian civilization. In 2006, at the age of 92, she received world-wide coverage in international media organs when, upon publication of her 2005 book which described, among other topics, how her...

    - archaeologist
  • Müzeyyen Senar – singer, state artist of Turkey
  • Nur Sürer
    Nur Sürer
    Nur Sürer is a Turkish actress.Her debut role was in Bereketli Topraklar Üzerinde, directed by Erden Kiral. She is known for her more politically themed roles, notably with regard to prison conditions and women's rights...

    - actress
  • Olgun Şimşek- actor
  • Okan Yılmaz
    Okan Yilmaz
    Okan Yılmaz, born on 16 May 1978 in Bursa. On 2000-2001 and 2002-2003 seasons he was the top scorer of Turkish Super League. He currently plays for Greek Super League club Panthrakikos F.C..* Position : Forward* Height : 177cm* Weight : 71kg...

    - international footballer
  • Özhan Canaydın
    Özhan Canaydin
    Özhan Canaydın is a businessman and former chairman of the Turkish sports club Galatasaray.Born in 1943 in Bursa, Canaydın began to play professional basketball in 1958....

    - former basketball player, businessman and the former chairman of Galatasaray
  • Pınar Kür
    Pinar Kür
    Pınar Kür is a Turkish contemporary author and dramatist. She currently teaches at Bilgi University.- Works :*Yarın Yarın *Küçük Oyuncu *Asılacak Kadın *Akışı Olmayan Sular *Bitmeyen Aşk *Bir Cinayet Romanı...

    - author
  • Qādī Zāda al-Rūmī- astronomer and mathematician
  • Sabiha Gökçen
    Sabiha Gökçen
    Sabiha Gökçen was the first female combat pilot in the world and the first Turkish aviatrix, aged 23. She was one of the eight adopted children of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.- Early life :...

    - the first Turkish
    Turkey
    Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...

     female aviator
    Aviator
    An aviator is a person who flies aircraft for pleasure or as a profession. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887 as a variation of the French 'aviation', from the latin 'avis', coined 1863 by G. de la Landelle in "Aviation ou Navigation Aérienne"...

     and the first female combat pilot in the world
  • Serdar Kurtuluş
    Serdar Kurtulus
    Serdar Kurtuluş is a Turkish footballer playing for the club Gaziantepspor and Turkey. His younger brother Serkan is also a footballer playing for Galatasaray.-Early years:...

    - International footballer
  • Tarkan Gozubuyuk
    Tarkan Gözübüyük
    Tarkan Gözübüyük is the bass player of the Turkish heavy metal band Mezarkabul .-Biography:Born in 1970 in Erzurum, he grew up in Bursa. His first encounter with the bass guitar was aged fourteen....

    - Pentagram/Mezarkabul Bass Guitar Player / Producer
  • Sporus of Nicaea
    Sporus of Nicaea
    Sporus of Nicaea was a Greek mathematician and astronomer, , probably Nicaea , ancient district Bithynia, in province Bursa, in modern day Turkey....

    - Greek mathematician and astronomer
  • Suzan Avcı- actress
  • Tarık Tarcan- actor
  • Vildan Atasever
    Vildan Atasever
    Vildan Atasever is a Turkish film, TV and theatrical actress.-Biography:Vildan Atasever was born in Bursa, Turkey in 1981. She started acting at the age of fifteen. Her first major part was in the sitcom Kadın İsterse where she played Hülya Avşar's daughter...

    - actress
  • Yıldırım Gürses- actor, composer
  • Zeki Müren
    Zeki Müren
    Zeki Müren was a prominent Turkish singer, composer and actor. He was famous for his compelling voice and precise articulation in his singing of both established Turkish classical music and contemporary songs.-Biography:Müren grew up in the provincial capital city of Bursa in western Turkey...

    - well known singer, "sun of art"
  • Sercan Yıldırım
    Sercan Yildirim
    Sercan Yıldırım is a Turkish footballer who plays in the Turkish Süper Lig for Bursaspor as a Striker. He broke into the Turkey team in 2009 and currently has four caps.-Bursaspor:2007-08 season
    ...

     - International footballer

See also

  • 1855 Bursa earthquake
    1855 Bursa earthquake
    The 1855 Bursa earthquake occurred on 28 February, with an officially recorded magnitude of 7.5 . A devastating precursor quake that took place in Kemalpaşa, a town of Bursa, Turkey caused severe destruction all over Bursa and other neighboring cities...

  • Bursa Airport
    Yenisehir Airport
    Yenişehir Airport is an airport in the city of Yenişehir in the Bursa Province of Turkey.-Airlines and Destinations:*Turkish Airlines operated by SunExpress...

  • Complex of Mehmed I
    Complex of Mehmed I
    The Complex of Mehmed I is a large Ottoman complex in Bursa, Turkey built by Sultan Mehmed I Çelebi and completed in 1420. The complex is one of the last in a series of royal mosque complexes in Bursa starting with the Orhaniye Complex in the fourteenth century and ending with the Muradiye Complex...


External links