A traveller's reflection: 2016 Aegean Sea Trip: 11 Bursa, Turkey

"The impulse to travel is one of the hopeful symptoms of life..." - Agnes Repplier

(A pair of storks and a swirling Dervish dancer)

Day 07: Wednesday, 20 April 2016

(Windmills on the highlands, a source of energy)

(Signages to the attractions sites)

Golyazi Village, Uluabat Lake

On the way to Bursa we drove to a fishing village at Uluabat Lake. Gölyazı is a quiet little fishing village jutting out into Uluabat Lake, just west of Bursa. With a rich history reaching back to ancient Greece, a beautiful mountain and water backdrop, and a traditional, slower pace of life, Gölyazı is a fantastic place to relax and spend an afternoon.

The town was originally known as Apollonia, in honor of Apollo whose temple ruins are located just a kilometer or so north of the city. Because the area kept its strong Greek heritage through the centuries, the village today is marked by a mix of Greek and Turkish culture. An ancient necropolis spreads out on the edge of town, and sites of the ancient theatre, stadium, temples, and walls have been identified.

(A meeting point of the lake people)

(Lake Uluabat, the Blue Eye of Bursa)

(The shallow waters attract migrating birds)

(And old mosque next to the city wall)

(Fishing is the source of income to the village)

(Colorful row boats for rental)

(The statue of a famous person)

(A bridge to the peninsular village of Golyazi)

(Fishing boats use to catch pikes, silverside, common rudd and carps)

(Having tea in the hot sun)

( The city wall, aqueducts and ruins of old tomb)

(Some ruins are from the Byzantine period)

After visiting the fishing village we continued our journey and reached Bursa in late afternoon.

Bursa, Turkey

Bursa is a large city in northwest Turkey, lying in the foothills of Mount Uludağ near the Sea of Marmara about 441 km from Pumakkale. The city is known for its mosques and historical sites from the early Ottoman Empire. It is nicknamed Yeşil Bursa or the Green Bursa, owing to its many parks and trees, as well as its dramatic mountain backdrop.

(A new modern stadium)

(The suburb of Bursa)

(Kent Meydani AVM Shopping centre)

(The statue of Atartuk)

Green Mosque, Bursa

Yeşil Mosque or the Green Mosque is also known as Mosque of Mehmed I, is a part of the larger complex located on the east side of Bursa, the former capital of the Ottoman Turks before they captured Constantinople. The complex consists of a mosque, Maqam Sultan Mehmet, Madrasah, kitchen and bath. A famous Silk House is situated by the complex.

(The Green Mosque and Tomb Complex)

(Also known as Mosque of Mehmed I)

(The Mihrab of the mosque)

(Richly decorated dome)

(White marble fountain and octagonal pool)

(Calligraphic inscriptions on the wall)

(Bluish green tiles use as wall ornament)

(Back lighting of carved marble wall)

(The green carpet reflecting the name of the mosque)

(Intricate decorations of the Iwan)

The Green Mausoleum

The tomb is constructed on an octagonal plan and the burial vault at the lowest floor looks like Seljuk vault. It is covered with the dome that has eight magnificent windows which create a heavenly ambiance. The tiles used for window pediments are furnished with verses of the Koran and Prophet’s deeds.

The door of the mausoleum was made of the walnut tree. It was ornamented with green tiles, rosette, rumi and geometric adornments.Those mosaic tile emblazonment in the tomb are uniquely beautiful. The mihrab with colorful and geometric tiles is regarded as an artistic masterpiece.

(The entrance to the Green Tomb)

(The door is made of walnut wood)

(Sarcophaguses of Celebi Sultan Mehmed and family)

(Geometric colorful tiles, an artistic masterpiece)

(The Silk House next to the complex)

(Secret sign, a respect to the Turkish Flag)

We checked in the Tiara Thermal Hotel, Bursa and had buffet dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Day 08: Thursday, 21 April 2016

After breakfast we checked out and went for a tour around Bursa before we headed towards Istanbul.

Ulu Cami Mosque

Bursa Grand Mosque or Ulu Cami Mosque, is the largest mosque in Bursa and a landmark of early Ottoman architecture which used many elements from the Seljuk architecture. It is a large rectangular building, with twenty domes arranged in four rows of five that are supported by twelve columns. Supposedly the twenty domes were built instead of the twenty separate mosques which Sultan Bayezid I had promised for winning the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396.

The mosque has two minarets. There is also a fountain inside the mosque where worshipers can perform ritual ablutions before prayer. The dome over the fountain is capped by a skylight which creates a soft light below, playing an important role in the illumination of the large building.

(The Grand Mosque is a Heritage Site)

(The ablution area of the mosque)

(Neat racks for the shoes)

(The mosque has 20 domes and 2 minarets)

(Monumental wall inscriptions)

(Written by the Ottoman Calligraphers)

(The golden Mihrab of the mosque)

(Ablution fountain in the middle of the mosque)

(A landmark of early Ottoman architecture)

Cumalıkızık Ottoman Village

Cumalıkızık is a village in the Yıldırım district of Bursa Province, located 10 kilometers east of the city of Bursa, at the foot of Mount Uludağ. Its history goes back to the Ottoman Empire's foundation period. The village is now included within the border of the Yıldırım district as a neighbourhood. Cumalıkızık was founded as a vakıf village. The historical texture of the village has been well protected and the civilian countryside architectural structures of the early Ottoman period are still intact. Because of this, Cumalıkızık has become a popular but still unspoiled center for tourists.