Blogger, Paulina Allen
Today’s Highlights:
- Bursa Ulu Cami (The Great Mosque)
- Yeşil Türbe (the Green Tomb) and Yeşil Cami (The Green Mosque)
- İskender Kebap for lunch
- Shopping in Bursa’s Bazaars
- Movie night!
Journey to Bursa
Today was a bittersweet day because it was our last day trip. We left at 9 to catch a 9:30 dolmuş (a mini-bus or shared taxi that runs a predetermined loop), but we were running a few minutes late, so we ran the last leg of the walk! After making it to our dolmuş by the skin of our teeth, we enjoyed the (slightly squished) hour-and-a-half ride to Bursa. Bursa sits at the foothills of the Uludağ, which translates to “great mountains.” Its location in this mountainous region gave us beautiful mountain views on our journey there.
The dolmuş brought us to the Bursa bus station, so we took another bus from there into the center of town.
Ulu Cami
Our first stop of the day was at the Ulu Cami or Great Mosque. This mosque was likely the oldest we have seen during our time in Turkey, and it was reminiscent of the mosques we saw in southern Spain. It was built before the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, and therefore the architecture of this mosque had not been influenced by the monumental Byzantine buildings of Constantinople, such as the Hagia Sophia. Unlike the mosques in Istanbul, most of which copied the Hagia Sophia with a large central dome and two semi-domes, this mosque held twenty domes arranged in rows of five. The top of the central dome is now glass, but it used to be open, and below it sits a marble fountain called a sardirvan.
Yeşil Türbe (the Green Tomb)
We made our way to the east side of Bursa where large complex that holds both Green Tomb, and the Green Mosque is located. The tomb’s green-blue tiled exterior gives the hexagonal building its name. Iznik tiles with flower patterns in white, blue, and yellow welcome as you walk into the building.
The Green Tomb is the mausoleum of Mehmed I, who ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1413 to 1421. He was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire right before Mehmed II who conquered Constantinople in 1453. Mehmed I was responsible for expanding Ottoman authority in central Anatolia. Before the conquest of Constantinople, he established Bursa as the capital of the Ottoman Turks. For this reason, Bursa is the home of the beginning of the Ottoman Empire as we think of it today. The tomb itself sits at a high point in Bursa, and its visibility serves as a reminder of Bursa’s importance in the story of the Ottoman Empire, and subsequently, modern-day Turkey.
Yeşil Cami (the Green Mosque)
Directly opposite and down the hill from the Green Tomb is the Green Mosque. It was commissioned by Mehmed I, whose sarcophagus lies in the Green Tomb, and the mosque’s construction began in 1412. It serves as another example of pre-Constantinople Ottoman architecture. It is a square-shaped building with a central room topped by a central dome. Flanking the central room are two iwans also topped with their respective domes. Iwans are a characteristic of Islamic architecture, and the term refers to a rectangular space framed by three walls, with one end entirely open. The exterior domes of the mosque were originally covered in blue-green tiles but are now clad in lead because of restoration in the 19th century.
Lunch
After visiting Yeşil Cami, we set out on the hunt for some İskender Kebap to eat for lunch. Bursa is known for the dish, so we had to have it while visiting! It consists of sliced meats topped with a hot tomato sauce over pieces of pita bread, accompanied by yogurt and butter.
On our way to find a restaurant, we crossed through the Irgandi Bridge, which is one of four bridges with markets in the world. It was built in 1442. Since then, it has been damaged by multiple earthquakes but was restored in 2004. Now, you can walk through the bridge and buy handmade jewelry and other such goods.
We eventually made our way to the restaurant and enjoyed some delicious Iskender Kebap!
Afternoon Shopping
After lunch, Professor Pitamber set us loose to shop around Bursa’s extensive bazaars! Sydney, Kacie, Carson, Wen ting and I tagged along with Professor Pitamber on the hunt for some silk. On our way, we stumbled upon the Eski Ipek Han, one of the earliest bazaars of Bursa, which Mehmed I built in the early 15th century to generate income for the Yeşil Complex, which we had visited earlier that day.
Eventually, Sydney, Kacie, Wen Ting, Carson and I split off and discovered a corner of the Bendesten (Covered Bazaar) with some cute vintage items. The Covered Bazaar was built in the late 14th century and was the location used for the selling and purchasing of the most important goods in the country at that time.
As we explored further, we found fresh fruit and ice cream as a snack!
After a full day of shopping, it was time to hop in a taxi home. Our taxi ride home was a windy one through the mountainous region. As we approached Iznik, we were treated to a lovely view of the small city nestled on the edge of the lake!
Movie Night
Tonight was our last night all together because tomorrow we start our journey to our separate hotels and airports. To celebrate, we all gathered in Professor Pitamber’s room to enjoy some pizza and to watch the movie, Troy! We had lots of fun pointing out the inaccuracies of the film after seeing the real site of Troy earlier in the week.
We gave Professor Pitamber a little thank-you gift for all she has done for us on this trip. It is a little mug with an ionic column capital on it. Perfect for an architectural historian!
Reflections
I very much enjoyed seeing Bursa. It provided a fun comparison to Istanbul. Although it is not nearly as large as Istanbul, it still has a big city feel in contrast to Iznik. Our trip deepened my understanding of the events that unfolded within the Ottoman Empire in the lead-up to the conquest of Constantinople. The architecture was a good reminder of the mosques we had seen in Spain. It was a wonderful full-circle moment for our last day trip.