A Guide to the Historic Downtown of Bursa, Bursa, Turkey

Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014, Bursa is the first capital city of the Ottoman Empire. It essentially serves as the blueprint for the development of Ottoman cities in the later period. Today, it is also the fourth most populous city in the country.

Given its foundational historical importance, a history buff should not leave Turkey without having visited the very site that birthed the Ottoman Empire. It is ground zero for early period Ottoman sultans to flex their muscle and eventually delving deeper into expansionism. Its innovative urban planning has remained a hallmark even up to today.

This guide will walk you through some of the most essential sights that everyone, and especially history buffs, should visit while they are in Bursa. This guide will especially focus on the downtown area of Bursa, where everything is within walking distance.

Also known as the Mosque of Mehmed I, the Green Mosque is one of the most defining landmarks in the downtown of Bursa. The Green Mosque was commissioned by none other than Sultan Mehmed I Çelebi and completed sometime around the year of 1419 or 1420.

Dubbed “The Restorer”, Sultan Mehmed I Çelebi is a very significant figure. He successfully re-established central authority in the Anatolia region and expanded the Ottoman presence into Europe. His reign spanned from the year of 1413 to 1421 as the fifth Ottoman Sultan. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).