Turkey · Green Bursa, First Ottoman Capital
Yeşil Bursa
Turkey
3.24 Million
Marmara Region
UTC+3 (TRT)
Bursa, Turkey's fourth-largest city with a population of 3.24 million, nestles at the northwestern foot of Mount Uludağ in the Marmara region. Known affectionately as "Yeşil Bursa" (Green Bursa) for its lush parks, gardens, and tree-lined streets, this historic city served as the first major capital of the Ottoman Empire from 1326 to 1363. The city's verdant character, combined with its proximity to the snow-capped Uludağ massif rising dramatically behind it, creates a unique urban landscape where history, nature, and modern industry converge. Bursa's identity reflects a fascinating blend of imperial Ottoman heritage, vibrant silk-trading past, and contemporary status as Turkey's automotive manufacturing powerhouse.
The city's UNESCO World Heritage designation in 2014 recognizes its exceptional collection of early Ottoman architecture and urban planning, including the magnificent Green Mosque (Yeşil Cami) with its stunning turquoise tilework, the Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami) with its 20 domes and celebrated calligraphy, and the perfectly preserved 700-year-old village of Cumalıkızık. These landmarks stand as testament to Bursa's pivotal role in the birth and early development of the Ottoman Empire. All of the 14th-century Ottoman rulers are buried in Bursa, starting with Osman, the empire's founder, making the city a pilgrimage site for those seeking to understand Ottoman origins. The historic silk market, Koza Han, built in 1491, continues to buzz with merchants selling silk products, connecting the present to Bursa's illustrious past as a crucial node on the Silk Road.
Modern Bursa has evolved into Turkey's industrial heartland while maintaining its cultural treasures and natural beauty. Often called the "Detroit of Turkey," the city hosts major automotive plants including Fiat's Tofaş factory and Renault's Oyak facility, employing 70,000 workers and generating $6.7 billion in annual automotive exports. The textile industry, rooted in centuries of silk production, remains vital, with Bursa contributing nearly 78% of Turkey's total textile exports. Beyond industry, the city offers residents and visitors alike access to thermal baths that have been enjoyed since Roman times, winter skiing on Mount Uludağ, and a thriving culinary scene famous for İskender kebap, invented here in 1867. With 32 of Turkey's 500 largest companies based in the city, Bursa demonstrates how a metropolis can honor its glorious past while embracing innovation and economic dynamism.
Built between 1412 and 1419 for Sultan Mehmed I, the Yeşil Cami is an architectural masterpiece of early Ottoman style, renowned for its exquisite turquoise and green Iznik tiles that give the mosque its name. The adjacent Green Tomb houses the sultan's sarcophagus beneath a dome covered in brilliant green tiles, creating one of Turkey's most photographed monuments. The intricate tilework, Arabic calligraphy, and harmonious proportions represent the pinnacle of Ottoman decorative arts.
Rising to 2,543 meters, Uludağ (meaning "Great Mountain" in Turkish) dominates Bursa's skyline and serves as Turkey's most popular ski resort in winter and a hiking paradise in summer. A cable car system whisks visitors from the city to the alpine slopes in just 30 minutes, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the Marmara region. The mountain's national park status protects diverse flora and fauna, while summit restaurants serve traditional Turkish cuisine with spectacular vistas.
This 700-year-old Ottoman village, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014, appears frozen in time with its cobblestone streets, traditional timber-framed houses, and unchanged rural character. Located at the foot of Uludağ just 20 minutes from downtown Bursa, Cumalıkızık offers visitors an authentic glimpse into medieval Anatolian village life. Local families continue traditional practices, selling homemade jams, gözleme (Turkish crepes), and preserves from their historic homes' ground floors.
Commissioned by Sultan Bayezid I in 1396, the Ulu Cami stands as one of Turkey's largest and most important mosques, featuring an unusual design of 20 domes supported by 12 massive columns. The mosque's interior showcases exceptional Ottoman calligraphy with 192 monumental inscriptions adorning the walls, considered among the finest examples of Islamic calligraphic art. A central fountain beneath an open dome provides natural light and serves for ritual ablutions, creating a serene spiritual atmosphere.
Built in 1491 by Sultan Bayezid II, this magnificent two-story caravanserai remains Bursa's commercial heart and a living monument to the city's silk-trading heritage. The han's central courtyard features a small mosque beneath ancient plane trees, surrounded by 95 shops selling silk scarves, fabrics, and traditional handicrafts. During the annual silk cocoon harvest in June, the courtyard transforms into a bustling marketplace where farmers sell their cocoons, continuing a 600-year-old tradition.
Bursa's thermal waters, flowing from natural springs at temperatures up to 47°C, have attracted bathers since Roman times and gave the city its ancient name, Thermae. The Eski Kaplıca (Old Spa), dating to the Byzantine era, and the 16th-century Yeni Kaplıca offer traditional Turkish bath experiences in historic settings. Rich in minerals including calcium, magnesium, and sulfate, these therapeutic waters are believed to alleviate rheumatism, skin conditions, and respiratory ailments.
Bursa's economy, worth approximately $37 billion in GDP, is anchored by its dominant automotive and textile industries that have transformed the city into Turkey's industrial powerhouse. Often hailed as the "Detroit of Turkey," Bursa hosts two of the nation's major automobile manufacturers—Tofaş (Fiat, established 1968) and Oyak-Renault (founded 1969)—which employ 70,000 workers representing 25% of Turkey's automotive workforce. The automotive sector alone generated $6.7 billion in exports in 2021, with hundreds of component suppliers clustered around the main assembly plants. The textile industry, rooted in Bursa's centuries-old silk production heritage, contributes nearly 78% of Turkey's total textile exports, demonstrating remarkable continuity from the city's Silk Road past to its modern manufacturing present. With 32 of Turkey's 500 largest companies headquartered in Bursa, the city faces challenges including labor competition and environmental concerns, but continues to attract foreign investment due to its strategic location between Istanbul and Ankara, skilled workforce, and established industrial infrastructure.
Bursa's cultural landscape reflects layers of history stretching from Byzantine Prusa through the Ottoman golden age to vibrant modern Turkey. The city takes immense pride in its culinary heritage, particularly İskender kebap—döner meat served over pide bread with tomato sauce, melted butter, and yogurt—invented by İskender Efendi in 1867 and still served at his descendants' restaurants. Traditional shadow puppet theater (Karagöz and Hacivat), which originated in Bursa during the 14th century, continues to entertain audiences, while the city's numerous festivals celebrate everything from silk culture to winter sports. The local dialect, influenced by centuries of diverse populations, carries distinct pronunciations that identify native Bursalılar. The city's thermal bath culture shapes daily life, with families maintaining generations-old traditions of weekend spa visits. Bursa's residents, known for their entrepreneurial spirit and pride in Ottoman heritage, balance reverence for the past with embrace of modernity—attending Friday prayers at historic mosques before shopping in contemporary malls, hiking ancient trails on Uludağ, then dining at rooftop restaurants overlooking the illuminated cityscape. The preservation of Cumalıkızık and restoration of Ottoman hans demonstrate civic commitment to maintaining cultural authenticity even as the city industrializes.
Bursa's history extends back to approximately 200 BCE when King Prusias I of Bithynia founded the city as Prusa, though archaeological evidence suggests even earlier settlements in the region. The Romans conquered the area in 74 BCE, recognizing the value of the natural thermal springs and developing Prusa into a prosperous provincial city. Following the division of the Roman Empire, Bursa became part of the Byzantine Empire and served as an important military and commercial center in northwestern Anatolia for a millennium. The pivotal moment in Bursa's history arrived in 1326 when Ottoman leader Orhan Gazi captured the city after a lengthy siege, making it the first major capital of the nascent Ottoman state. For nearly four decades, Bursa served as the administrative and cultural heart of the rapidly expanding Ottoman realm, with successive sultans embellishing the city with mosques, medreses, hans, and public baths that still define its character today. All 14th-century Ottoman rulers chose burial in Bursa, establishing the city's sacred status in Ottoman dynastic memory. The empire's capital moved to Edirne in 1363 as Ottoman territories expanded into Europe, but Bursa maintained crucial importance as a commercial hub. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Bursa flourished as a critical node on the Silk Road, serving as the western terminus for Persian and Chinese silk entering the Mediterranean world. Between 1487 and 1513, raw silk imports reached record levels of 120 metric tons annually, generating enormous wealth that funded architectural masterpieces like the Green Mosque and Koza Han. The city's silk industry attracted Italian, Armenian, Greek, and Jewish merchants, creating a cosmopolitan trading society. Bursa's fortunes declined somewhat in the 17th and 18th centuries as European traders developed direct sea routes to Asia, but the city remained regionally important. Following World War I and the Turkish War of Independence, Bursa was briefly occupied by Greek forces (1920-1922) before being liberated and incorporated into the Turkish Republic in 1923. The establishment of automotive plants in the 1960s transformed Bursa from a provincial city into an industrial metropolis, while UNESCO recognition in 2014 highlighted global appreciation for its historical treasures. Today, Bursa navigates between preserving its Ottoman heritage and embracing its role as Turkey's manufacturing leader.
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