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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. It was known in the antiquity and the medieval period with the name Prusa. The city is known as "Yeşil Bursa" (meaning "Green Bursa") from its beautiful parks and gardens located throughout the 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, peaches, 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. Duing the rule of the Ottomans, Bursa was the source of most royal silk products. It received the raw silk from Iran, and occasionally China, and was the 'factory' for the kaftans, pillows, embroidery and other silk products for the royal palaces up through the 17th century. Some of these included golden or silver silk thread which were of particular luxury because they were made by wraping extremely thin gold or silver wire around a single silk thread by hand. 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, as well as textile and food industries where Coca Cola, Pepsi and many canned food factories are present in the city's organized industrial zones. Traditionally Bursa was famous with its fertile soil and agricultural activities, which are decreasing due to the heavy industrialization of the city. Bursa also is a major tourist attraction: one of the best ski resorts of Turkey is located at Uludağ in Bursa Province, as is the ancient Nicea where the four bibles were united.

Education

Uludağ University is located in Bursa. It is one of the more prestigious universities in Turkey.

Sports

Bursa has a professional soccer team, Bursaspor, that plays in the Turkcell Super League. They are known as the "Yeşil Timsahlar" ("Green Alligators") and play their home matches at Bursa Atatürk stadium.

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

Ulu Camii (The Great Mosque)

Ulu Camii 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. There is also a fountain (şadırvan) inside the mosque where worshippers can perform ritual ablutions before prayer; the dome over the şadırvan is capped by a skylight, creating a soft, serene light below.

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 later Ottoman mosques (see for example the work of Süleyman I's chief architect Sinan). These later mosques have increasingly elevated central domes, which create a vertical emphasis that is intended to be more overwhelming, in order to convey the power and majesty of the Ottoman Empire. It is a beautiful piece of architecture.

Interior of Ulu Camii, showing the multiple domes and pillars decorated with calligraphy.

Interior of Ulu Camii, showing the fountain (şadırvan) for ritual ablutions.

Sister cities

Bursa has twenty sister cities. Vinnitsa is the latest to become a sister city of Bursa.^[1] The date each relationship was formed is shown in parentheses below.