OUR HİSTORİCAL AND CULTURAL ARTİFACTS

GRAND MOSQUE

The Bursa Grand Mosque is one of the first great mosques of the Ottoman Empire. Built by Bayezid the Thunderbolt, it is located in the heart of Bursa. The mosque has a rectangular plan and stands out with its 20 domes.

According to legend, before the Battle of Nicopolis, Bayezid vowed to build 20 mosques if he were victorious. After his victory, he fulfilled this vow with a single, large mosque. Therefore, the Grand Mosque has 20 domes.

A fountain is located in the center of the mosque, within an open-air section. This feature gives the mosque a spacious feel and a spiritual significance. The wooden pulpit, with its fine geometric patterns, is a masterpiece of art.

GREEN COMPLEX

Çelebi Mehmet, the fifth sultan of the Ottoman Empire, commissioned magnificent works to erase the scars of difficult times. The third of these is the Yeşil Külliye (Green Complex). Built on a hill at the foot of Mount Uludağ, this complex was commissioned to symbolize the rebirth of his state. The turquoise floral tiles used in the mosque and tomb earned the complex the nickname “Green.” It is an important early example of Ottoman architecture in Bursa. The Green Mosque’s entrance is impressive and clad in marble. The interior is adorned with tiles and hand-carved inscriptions by Nakkaş Ali. The Green Mosque’s imperial gallery, a unique example of its period, is adorned with gilding and tiles.

Located south of the Green Mosque, the Green Tomb stands out from the others. During the Ottoman period, tombs were generally built by sons for their fathers, but Çelebi Mehmet commissioned the tomb for himself. The Green Tomb is the only tomb among the Ottoman complexes that rivals or even surpasses the size of the mosque. The Green Madrasa, located within the complex, is considered one of the most important educational institutions in Turkish-Islamic history. Compared to the mosque and tomb, the madrasa, with its rather simple structure, is now used as the Museum of Turkish-Islamic Arts.

TURKİSH-ISLAMİC ARTS MUSEUM

The Green Complex opened in 1975 as the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts. You can see tiles and ceramics, wood, carvings, inlays, and metal works from the Seljuk, Beylik, and Ottoman periods, examples of Turkish craftsmanship, Seljuk and Ottoman coins, and traditional Turkish handicrafts and machinery, all from the 13th to the 20th centuries. At the center of the museum, you can see tombstones and inscriptions.

MURAD I HUDAVENDİGAR MOSQUE

Built by Murad I in the 1300s, the mosque is the only structure in Ottoman architecture with a mosque on the lower floor and a madrasah on the upper floor. Architecturally, the building, which incorporates Gothic, Seljuk, Byzantine, and early Ottoman elements, is unknown. The mausoleum of the Hüdavendigar Complex was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1854, and a new one was later built in its place. The Cık Cık (Enter-Exit) bathhouse was used for the needs of the madrasah students. Its smaller size compared to the other bathhouses in the complex may indicate that the nearby Eski Kaplıca was also used.

KOZA HAN

This inn took its name from its location as a trading area for silk cocoons. Built by architect Abdül Ula bin Pulat Şah in the late 15th century by Bayezid II, the inn is a work of caravanserai architecture that has preserved its integrity. Its monumental entrance gate and the six-fountained pavilion and small mosque in its center are among the symbols of Bursa. The “İç Koza Han” section, now used for food and beverage, once served as a stable.