Stand on the terrace at Tophane Clocktower and the whole shape of Bursa reads at once: the rooftops spilling down toward the plain, the minarets of the old capital, and Mount Uludağ rising behind it all. This is a city where the early Ottoman Empire left its first monuments, where silk merchants once filled the caravanserais, and where the parks and forests that earned it the name Yeşil Bursa begin at the edge of the streets.
Bursa suits travellers who care about architecture and history more than nightlife, and who are happy to move between mosques, tombs, markets and museums on foot and by short taxi rides. It also suits anyone who wants a Turkish city that is neither as crowded as Istanbul nor as small as a provincial town.
This guide covers the sights and experiences in the city itself, from the Grand Mosque and the bazaar quarter around Heykel to the Muradiye Complex and the museums in Kültür Park, with a one-day plan at the end.
Top things to do in Bursa
1. Grand Mosque (Ulu Camii)
Built by Sultan Beyazid and completed in 1399, the Grand Mosque was wrecked by Timur and later by the Karamansids, then rebuilt and repaired over the centuries, including after the earthquake of 1855. Because it kept to its original design, it resembles the Seljuk mosques of Anatolia more than later Ottoman buildings such as the Blue Mosque of Istanbul. It is best known for the calligraphic panels on its walls and columns, and for the fountain inside it.
It sits on Ulucami Cd in the heart of the old commercial quarter, so combine it with the Grand Bazaar and Koza Han, both a short walk away. Most museums in the city are branches of Bursa Müze and are free but closed on Monday, so plan a mosque-and-market day for a Monday instead.
2. Koza Han
On the north side of the Grand Mosque and Orhan Mosque, Koza Han was the city's caravanserai and silk market, built in 1490. It is a large courtyard ringed by two-storey arcades: merchants had accommodation and offices upstairs and shop-fronts downstairs. In the centre, a prayer room sits in a kiosk reached by a staircase, raised to keep out the pack animals and their mess.
It is now lined with small shops and cafes and is a pleasant place to take tea. Pair it with the Grand Mosque and the Grand Bazaar in a single wander through the bazaar quarter.
3. Green Mosque (Yeşil Camii)
The Green Mosque was built between 1419 and 1424 at the behest of Sultan Mehmed I Çelebi, who reunited the Ottomans after their fratricidal wars. Its green and blue tilework was made by the Masters of Tabriz and is especially rich on the mihrab, the recesses and the tomb of Mehmed himself. It is a two-storey building in a T-plan and unusually has a fountain within.
Beside it are tea gardens with wide views over the valley and Mount Uludağ. The madrassah is now the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, and the hamam has become a souvenir shop, so you can see all three in one stop.
4. Tophane Clocktower
The clocktower is the focus of a small park and terrace with good views over the city. Side by side are two historic tombs: that of Gazi Osman, the first Ottoman sultan, and that of Orhan Gazi, his son and successor.
The park drops away sharply to the north, so approach from the south up Osman Gazi Cd, past the Imperial Gate. Go late in the day for the light over the rooftops.
5. Imperial Gate
The Imperial Gate is the best preserved structure of what is called the castle, though it was more like a citadel enclosing the whole town on the high ground. This was where imperial decrees were proclaimed, and because French was the language of western diplomacy, "Sublime Porte" became a synonym for the Ottoman government. The citadel walls, built in the 2nd century BC, were the first obstacle the Ottomans had to overcome.
Most of the citadel is lost under later buildings and parked cars, but the gate is the right place to start a walk down to Tahtakale Gate, Yerkapı Gate, Conquest Gate and Dungeon Gate.
6. Muradiye Complex (Muradiye Külliyesi)
Commissioned by Sultan Murad II, the mosque here is fairly simple and was completed in 1426. The main draw is the eight mausoleums holding a roll-call of early Ottoman nobles. Within the complex is the Koran and Calligraphy Museum, a fine exhibition that is closed on Monday.
Entry is free. Allow time to move slowly between the tombs rather than treating the complex as a single stop.
7. Orhan Mosque (Gazi Orhan Bey Camii)
Orhan Mosque stands about 100 m east of the Grand Mosque, across the square. It was built by Orhan, the second Ottoman sultan, in the late 14th century, on reclaimed land outside the old citadel walls, and so began the expansion of the city beyond its defences. The mosque was the centrepiece of a religious complex, a külliyesi, though the madrassah and hostel have been demolished and the hamam is now a bazaar.
Because it is so close to the Grand Mosque and Koza Han, it fits naturally into the same walk. Orhan's tomb is on Tophane, at the clocktower.
8. Irgandı Bridge (Irgandı Köprüsü)
Irgandı Bridge is a footbridge over the gully lined with small shops, built in 1442 and restored in 2004 after being knocked about over the years. Two more ancient bridges cross nearby: Boyacıkulluğu, a narrow cobbled bridge about 100 m north downstream, and Setbaşı bridge to the south, which carries Atatürk Cd and whose arches are difficult to see without going down into the gully.
Walk the bridge slowly and then drop into the gully if you want a proper look at the older arches.
9. Emir Sultan Mosque
Emir Sultan Mosque was built in the 14th century; Emir Sultan was a scholar and advisor to Sultan Bayezid I, and his mausoleum is here. The mosque was twice smashed by earthquakes, and the present version dates from 1868 in Ottoman Baroque style. There are fountains in the courtyard and an old cemetery down the hillside to the north.
Pair it with the Muradiye Complex, which is close by, and with the Museum of the Ottoman House on the north side of Muradiye.
10. Beyazid I Mosque (Yıldırım Beyazıt Cami)
Bayezid I built this religious complex in the 1390s, with a mosque and a madrassah. Crushed by Timur, he died in captivity in 1403 and was eventually buried in a cloistered tomb within the complex, with his wife and son Isa lying beside him.
It is a quieter stop than the central mosques and works well as part of a half-day in the Yıldırım area.
11. Museum of the Ottoman House (Osmanlı Evi Müzesi)
This is a house furnished to show life in the 17th century, on the north side of Muradiye at the corner with Aralık Sk. It is free and closed on Monday.
Combine it with the Muradiye Complex and Emir Sultan Mosque, all within a short distance of one another.
12. Tofaş Anatolian Car Museum (Tofaş Anadolu Arabaları Müzesi)
Tofaş is a car company, "Türk Otomobil Fabrikası Anonim Şirket", and this is an impressive collection of vehicles from horse-drawn days to the present. It is free and closed on Monday.
It is a good choice if you are travelling with children or want a break from religious architecture.
13. Archaeology Museum (Bursa Arkeoloji Müzesi)
This is a small but interesting museum of the area's prehistory, housed in a former boys' high school set in Kültür Park on Çekirge Cd. It is free and open daily.
Across the street is the Atatürk House, an elegant 19th-century villa in French style that was gifted for Atatürk to use whenever he was in town; the second floor displays his personal items. The house is closed on Monday.
14. Museum of Textile Industry (Merinos Tekstil Sanayi Müzesi)
Machinery and other exhibits from the Merino wool trade and other textiles, on Merinos Cd. A wool mill stood here until it was replaced by the Congress Hall. It is free and closed on Monday.
On the second floor above it is the Bursa Museum of Migration History, which depicts the many human migrations across Anatolia. The Energy Museum, the preserved power station that drove the wool mill, is on the west side.
15. Karagöz Museum
Karagöz ("Blackeye") is the coarse, impulsive buffoon and Hacivat ("Ivat the Pilgrim") is the sensible one in the shadow-puppet plays of Turkey, which first appeared in the 14th century. They are said to be based on two real-life men who worked on the construction of one of the early Ottoman mosques in the city. The museum exhibits the duo and their supporting cast, and is closed on Monday.
It sits on Çekirge Cd, so it fits neatly with the Archaeology Museum and Atatürk House nearby.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at the Grand Mosque (Ulu Camii) on Ulucami Cd, then step across the square to Orhan Mosque. Walk north into Koza Han for tea in the courtyard, and browse the Grand Bazaar a short distance north of the Grand Mosque.
Afternoon. Head to Tophane Clocktower for the view and the tombs of Gazi Osman and Orhan Gazi, approaching from the south up Osman Gazi Cd past the Imperial Gate. Then walk down through the old citadel gates to Irgandı Bridge and its shops.
Evening. Take a taxi or bus out to the Green Mosque (Yeşil Camii), see the tilework and the tomb of Mehmed I, and finish with tea in the gardens beside it as the light goes off the valley and Mount Uludağ.
Frequently asked questions
When are Bursa's museums closed?
Most museums are branches of Bursa Müze and are free, but closed on Monday. The Koran and Calligraphy Museum in the Muradiye Complex is also closed on Monday, and the Atatürk House is closed on Monday as well.
Do I need to pay to enter the museums?
Most of the city's museums are free, including the Museum of the Ottoman House, the Tofaş Anatolian Car Museum, the Archaeology Museum, the Museum of Textile Industry, the Bursa Museum of Migration History, the Energy Museum and the Muradiye Complex. The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art by the Green Mosque charges a small adult ticket.
Which sights sit close enough to visit together?
The Grand Mosque, Orhan Mosque, Koza Han and the Grand Bazaar are all within a short walk of one another around Heykel. The Muradiye Complex, the Museum of the Ottoman House and Emir Sultan Mosque form another cluster. The Archaeology Museum, the Atatürk House and the Karagöz Museum are all on or near Çekirge Cd.
What is the best way to see the old citadel area?
Approach from the south up Osman Gazi Cd, past the Imperial Gate, and continue to Tophane Clocktower. From there you can walk down through Tahtakale Gate, Yerkapı Gate, Conquest Gate and Dungeon Gate, and on to Irgandı Bridge.
Pick your dates around a Monday, sketch out the mosque-and-market walk first, and the rest of Bursa will arrange itself around it.