Bursa, Turkey

Bursa (formerly known as Brusa, Greek: Prusa, Προύσσα) is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of Bursa Province. With a population of 1,194,687 (2000 census), it is Turkey's fourth largest city. The city is famous for its ski resorts (on the mountain of Uludağ), the mausoleums of Ottoman sultans, and the surrounding fertile plain. It is also the home of some famous Turkish foods, especially chestnut desserts and a meat dish called İskender kebap.

History

The earliest known site at this location was Cius, which Philip V of Macedonia granted to the Bithynian king Prusias I in 202 BC, for his help against Pergamum and Heraclea Pontica (modern Karadeniz Ereğli). Prusias renamed the city for himself, Prusa.

It was later a major city, located on the westernmost end of the famous Silk Road, and was the capital of the Ottoman Empire following its capture from the Byzantines in 1326 until the capture of Edirne in 1365 and remained an important administrative and commercial center even after it lost its status as the capital. The Algerian resistance fighter Emir Abd el-Kader resided here for a while (1852 to 1855), as well as Ayatollah Khomeini in his first year of exile (1963) before leaving for Nejef in Iraq and later for Paris, and Ismail Hakkı Bursevi a famous Islamic scholar and Sufi is buried here.

Economy

Bursa is the center of the Turkish automobile industry, where FIAT and Renault have located their factories.

Places of interest

Following is a brief list of places of interest in and around Bursa. For a longer list see Places of interest in Bursa.

Uludağ National Park

Çekirge, Armutlu, Oylat and Gemlik hot springs

Armutlu, Kumla and Kurşunlu beaches

Prusa city walls

İznik Nicaea, Karacabey Miletopolis, Mudanya Mirlea, Mustafakemalpaşa Kirmastı, Orhaneli Atranos and Yenişehir Neopolis antique cities

Ayasofya, Koimesis and Hagios churches

İznik Necropolis

Palace and Hipogeum

Orhan Mosque and Complex

Yıldırım, Yeşil, Hüdavendigar, Muradiye, Koca Sinan Paşa, İshak Paşa complexes

Bursa and Karacabey Grand Mosques

Yıldırım Bazaar

Bursa Archeology, Bursa Atatürk, Bursa Turkish Islamic Works, Mudanya Armistice and İznik museums

Cumalıkızık Village

Ulucami Mosque

Ulucami, the Great Friday Mosque, is the major mosque of Bursa and a landmark of early Ottoman architecture. It was built by Ali Neccar in 1396-1399, at Sultan Bayezid I's command. The mosque is large and rectangular, with twenty domes arranged in four rows of five supported by twelve columns. It has two minarets. Inside the mosque there are 192 monumental wall inscriptions written by famous calligraphers.

At the top right is a picture of the fountain (in Turkish, şadırvan) inside the mosque, where worshippers can perform ritual ablutions; the dome overhead is capped by a skylight, creating a soft, serene light below. Below right is a picture of the many domes and the calligraphy that adorns the supporting pillars.

The horizontally spacious and dimly lit interior, with all of its nooks and crannies, seems peaceful and contemplative. This atmosphere contrasts with later Ottoman mosques (see for example the work of long-time chief architect Sinan), whose increasingly elevated central domes create a vertical emphasis that feels more grand and imperial.

Sister cities

Bursa has twenty sister cities. Vinnitsa is the latest to become a sister city of Bursa.Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Web Site. Sister Cities.^* The date each relationship was formed is shown in parentheses below.

Darmstadt, Germany (7 July 1971) Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (30 June 1972) Multan, Pakistan (24 February 1975) Oulu, Finland (7 July 1979) Tiffin, Ohio, United States (May 1983) Kairouan, Tunisia (26 December 1987) Denizli, Turkey (4 February 1988) Lefkosia, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (17 December 1990) Anshan, People's Republic of China (8 November 1991) Bitola, Macedonia (3 November 1996) Herzliya, Israel (15 August 1997) Ceadîr-Lunga, Gagauzia, Moldova (23 September 1997) Qyzylorda, Kazakhstan (4 October 1997) Muaskar, Algeria (25 May 1998) Kulmbach, Germany (29 October 1998) Pleven, Bulgaria (30 October 1998) Plovdiv/Filibe, Bulgaria (3 December 1998) Tirana, Albania (15 December 1998) Košice, Slovakia (29 March 2000) Vinnitsa, Ukraine (8 March 2004)

References

External links

Bursa | Ottoman Empire | Cities along the Silk Road | Ancient Greek cities