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The city was founded by Prusias
the I. (230-192 B.C.) King of the Bythnians who were the first in that region,
and Bursa is full of historical
works of art. The Ottoman Sultan, Yildirim Beyazit, had the Mosque of Yildirim
constructed in the year 1399. Another one of the interesting works of art in
the city is the Ulu Cami located at the center of the city. It was constructed
between the years 1396 and 1400, and was placed on twelve elephant feet and has
20 domes. There is a fountain and a remarkable niche inside the mosque and
there are also examples of the art of ornamental calligraphy of that time. This
mosque was the greatest mosque of the Ottomans in those years. Another one of the most favorite
works of art in Bursa is the Green Complex situated in the district called
Yesil. The mosque in the complex was built by the order of Çelebi Sultan Mehmet
in the year 1419, and the ornamental designs of the mosque could be completed
in the year 1424. The architect of the Complex, composed of the Mosque,
Medresse and Mausoleum, was Haci Ivaz
Pasa, the engraver was Ali Bin Ilyas Ali
and the master workman who made the encaustic tiles was Mehmet El
Mecnun. The
Medresse adjacent to the Mosque is used as a museum today. Another work of art in Bursa is
the Green Mausoleum, which is regarded as the symbol of Bursa today. The
mausoleum is octagonal shaped and its outer surface is also covered with
encaustic tiles as the inside. Çelebi Mehmet's sarcophagus is placed at the
center of the mausoleum and it is made of encaustic tiles. Another important
complex in the city is the Complex of
Muradiye. Sultan Murad the II. had this
complex constructed between the years 1424-1426, and it is composed of the
mosque,
medresse, bath, and kitchen for the poor and mausoleums. Besides the
mausoleum of Murad the II. there are twelve mausoleums in the courtyard of the
mosque such as those belonging to Gülsah
Hatun, Mukime
Hatun, Sultan's son
(sehzade)
Mahmut, Sultan's son Mustafa and to Sultan Cem whose name was given
to the mausoleum and who was buried together with Mustafa, and all are
ornamented with beautiful encaustic tiles. In addition to the Ottoman House nearby the mausoleums of Osmangazi and Orhangazi in Tophane, the Fortress of Bursa, the Mosque and Medresse of Murad the I. in Çekirge, there are many historical and modern hot springs in the vicinity. Villa Atatürk near Çelik Palas, the Museum of Archaeology in the park, are also places to be visited here. Uludag, to which we referred shortly above, is also another place of excursion. |
was named Prusa, like the King's name. Today this name has been changed to
Bursa. In the year 1330 Ottomans conquered Iznik and made it the capital city.
In the year 1335 the capital of the Ottoman State was Bursa succeeding Iznik,
and later Edirne was conquered and made capital.