Bursa became the capital of theOttoman Empire (back then the Ottoman Beylik) from 1335 until the 1360s. A more recent nickname isYeşil Bursa ("Green Bursa") referring to the parks and gardens located across the city, as well as to the vast, varied forests of the surrounding region.
Bursa has a rather orderly urban growth and borders a fertile plain. Themausoleums of the earlyOttoman sultans are located in Bursa, and the city's main landmarks include numerous edifices built throughout the Ottoman period. Bursa also hasthermal baths, old Ottoman mansions, palaces, and several museums.Mount Uludağ, known inclassical antiquity as theMysian Olympus or, alternatively,Bithynian Olympus, towers over the city and has a ski resort.
Theshadow play charactersKaragöz and Hacivat, according to some stories, are based on historic personalities who lived and died in Bursa in the 14th century.[5][6]
The earliest known human settlement near Bursa's current location was at the Ilıpınar Höyüğüc. 5200 BC.[7] It was followed by theAncient Greek city ofCius, whichKingPhilip V of Macedon granted toKingPrusias I of Bithynia after they both razed the city. Prusias later rebuilt the city and renamed itPrusias (Ancient Greek:Προῦσα; sometimes rendered asPrussa).[8] The city was also reverred to asPrusa ad Olympum after its location at the foot of the Bithynian Olympus (present dayUludağ Mountain).[9] After 128 years of Bithynian rule,Nicomedes IV, the last King of Bithynia, bequeathedthe entire kingdom to theRoman Republic in 74 BC.An early Roman Treasure was found near Bursa in the early 20th century, composed of woman's silver toilet articles. It is currently reserved in theBritish Museum.[10]
Encyclopædia Britannica suggests that, when Bursa was underByzantine rule, The city prospered after theByzantine EmperorJustinian I built a palace there.[11] the city then became a garrison city in 562, where imperial guards were stationed. Already by the mid-6th century, Bursa was known as a famous silk textile manufacturing centre.[12]
Bursa became the first major capital city of the earlyOttoman Empire followingits capture from the Byzantines in 1326. As a result, the city witnessed a considerable amount of urban growth such as the building of hospitals,caravanserais andmadrasas throughout the 14th century, with the first official Ottoman mint established in the city.[12] Afterconquering Adrianople (nowEdirne) inEast Thrace, the Ottomans turned it into the new capital city in 1363. No longer a capital city, Bursa still retained its spiritual and commercial importance in the Ottoman Empire.[13] TheOttoman SultanBayezid I built theBayezid Külliyesi (Bayezid I theological complex) in Bursa between 1390 and 1395[14] and theBursa Ulu Cami (Bursa Grand Mosque) between 1396 and 1400.[15] After the defeat and capture of Bayezid in theBattle of Ankara by the forces ofEmirTimur in 1402, the latter's grandson,Muhammad Sultan Mirza, had the city pillaged and burned.[16] Despite this, Bursa remained as the most important administrative and commercial centre in the empire until SultanMehmed IIconquered Constantinople in 1453. The population of Bursa was 45,000 in 1487.[17]
During the Ottoman period, Bursa was a hub of the Ottoman silk trade. The city housed the distributions of silk and other luxury commodities from the east, particularlyMing China, to the rest of theMediterranean region and to theItalian city-states, particularlyGenoa andFlorence.[18][19] Bursa was also known for its numeroushammams (bathhouses) built during the reign of SultanSuleiman I such as the Yeni Kaplıca.[12] TheDevshirme system was also implemented in Bursa and its surroundings where it was negotiated between the authorities and the locals. Sometime during a levy in 1603-4, the villagers of Eğerciler (currently calledEğerce), a Christian village in Bursa and also a provider of sheeps to Istanbul, declared that the children of the village were very much needed as shepherds. They also asserted that even though they were not obliged to give any children to the army, the officers took some anyway, and that they should be returned. The villagers' claim of tremendous need of future shepherds was taken seriously by the Ottoman, and a decree commanded the return of the children.[20] From 1867 until 1922, Bursa was the capital ofHüdavendigâr vilayet. As it was a significant cultural and trade hub, traders, most of whom were Armenians, became very wealthy.[21]
In July 1915, thousands of Greek Orthodox Christians sought refuge in Bursa after having been forced out of their coastal villages by orders of theYoung Turk government. This worsened the situation of the native Greeks of Bursa, who had managed to survive through the attacks and boycotts of 1914. A short time later, deportation orders came for Bursa's Armenians. Protestant Armenians were initially spared from deportation, yet the villagers that lived outside of the city that tried to resist were massacred. Most of the deportees would perish in what became known as theArmenian genocide. Subsequently, large numbers of Kurds and Circassians, as well as Syrians from the south, were settled in the homes and towns of the deported Christians, radically altering the demographic composition of the town and region.[22] According to Mustafa Zahit Oner, in the last days of theGreco-Turkish War in 1922, the Greek Army attempted to burn the center of Bursa however they were stopped by the allied commanders and were only able to burn the train station together with Turkish civilians in it.[23] The Cretan artilleryman Vasilios Moustakis describes the event with the following words: "The Infantry had come through and set fire to the station. We saw an English general on horseback, who ordered the fire to be put out because if Bursa were burned, it would be harming Greece".[24]
The city has traditionally been a pole of attraction, and was a major centre for refugees from various ethnic backgrounds who immigrated toAnatolia from theBalkans during the loss of theOttoman territories in Europe between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The most recent arrival ofBalkan Turks took place between the 1940s and 1990s, when thePeople's Republic of Bulgaria expelled approximately 150,000Bulgarian Turks to Turkey.[25] About one-third of these 150,000 Bulgarian Turkish refugees eventually settled in Bursa (especially in the Hürriyet neighbourhood). With the construction of new industrial zones in the period between 1980 and 2000, many people from theeastern provinces of Turkey came and settled in Bursa.
Bursa, initially home to a smallRomaniote Jewish community, underwent a demographic shift with the arrival ofSephardic Jews who wereexpelled from the Iberian Peninsula in the late 15th century. The Sephardic majority quickly absorbed the Romaniotes, leading to a cultural and numerical dominance.Judaeo-Spanish became the daily language, and the community paid itspoll tax through the representative, thekahya.[26]
Throughout the Ottoman period, most Jews resided in Kuruçeşme, Bursa's Jewish quarter, home to threesynagogues. Etz Chaim (Eṣ Ḥayyim), the oldest, predated the Ottoman conquest, while the Gerush and Mayor synagogues were established by Sephardic newcomers. Despite the 1851 fire destroying Etz Chaim, the other two remain, along with the Berut synagogue. Bursa also had a Jewish cemetery until recently.[26]
Though never a major center, Bursa's Jewish population fluctuated. Dubious data suggests 683 families in 1571/72, dropping to 141 by 1696/97. By 1883, there were 2,179 Jews, with an influx of 400 fromAkkerman in 1887. Pre-World War I, the population reached 3,500, but emigration reduced it to 140 by the early 21st century.[26]
Engaged in the local economy, Bursa's Jews were shop owners and involved in guilds. In the 16th and 17th centuries, they excelled in textile manufacturing, silk trade,goldsmithing, and finance. Despite economic struggles in the 18th and 19th centuries, a 1886 report highlighted poverty.[26]
Bursa faced blood libels in 1592 and 1865. Despite its size, the community produced renownedhalakhic scholars across centuries. Modern schooling arrived in 1886 withAlliance Israélite Universelle, but it closed in 1923 during the secularization program. Jewish children then attended Turkish schools for a modern education.[26]
As of 2021, there are 60 Jews left in Bursa, one active synagogue and one Jewish cemetery.[27][28]
Bursa has aMediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification:Csa) under theKöppen classification, and a dry-hot summer subtropical climate (Csa) under theTrewartha classification. The city has hot, dry summers that last from June until September. Winters are cool and damp, also containing the most rainfall. There can be snow on the ground which will last for a week or two.Air pollution is a chronic problem in Bursa.[31]
Climate data for Bursa (1991–2020, extremes 1928–2023)
Apart from its large automotive industry, Bursa also produces a substantial amount of dairy products (bySütaş),[37] processed food (byTat),[38] and beverages (byUludağ).[39]
Traditionally, Bursa was famous for being the largest centre ofsilk trade in theByzantine and later theOttoman empires, during the period of the lucrativeSilk Road. The city is still a major centre for textiles in Turkey and is home to the Bursa International Textiles and Trade Centre (Bursa Uluslararası Tekstil ve Ticaret Merkezi, orBUTTIM). Bursa was also known for its fertile soil and agricultural activities, which have decreased in the recent decades due to the heavy industrialization of the city.
Bursa is a major centre for tourism. One of the most popularskiing resorts in Turkey is located onMount Uludağ, just next to the city proper. Bursa's thermal baths have been used for therapeutical purposes sinceRoman times. Apart from the baths that are operated by hotels,Uludağ University has aphysical therapy centre which also makes use of thermal water.
Tram type "Silkworm" is produced in Bursa by Turkish manufacturer Durmazlar.
Bursa has ametro (Bursaray),trams[40] and a bus system for inner-city public transport, while taxi cabs are also available. Bursa'sYenişehir Airport is 49 km (30 mi) away from the city centre. The citizens of Bursa also prefer Istanbul's airports such asIstanbul Airport andSabiha Gökçen International Airport for flights to foreign countries, due to Istanbul's proximity to Bursa. There are numerous daily bus and ferry services between the two cities.
The 8.8 km (5.5 mi) longBursa Uludağ Gondola (Turkish:Teleferik) connects Bursa with the ski resort areas 1,870 m (6,140 ft) high on the mountainUludağ.[41]
The only railway station in Bursa is theHarmancık station on theBalıkesir-Kütahya railway, which was opened in 1930.
The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Bursa, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 62 min. 12% of public transit riders ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 18 min, while 31% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip on public transit is 8.1 km (5.0 mi), while 17% travel for over 12 km (7.5 mi) in a single direction.[42]
Bursa has two public universities and one private university.Uludağ University, founded in 1975, is the oldest institution of higher education in the city. Founded first as the Bursa University then renamed Uludağ University in 1982,[43] the university has a student body of 47,000, one of the largest in Turkey.Bursa Technical University[44] is the second public university of Bursa and was established in 2010, beginning education in the 2011–2012 academic year.
The first private university in Bursa was theBursa Orhangazi University,[45] which started education in the 2012–2013 academic year. However, Orhangazi University was shut down by the Turkish government after the failed coup attempt of July 2016.
The city has one professional football club,Bursaspor, which formerly competed in theSüper Lig (Super League), the top-tier of Turkish football, untilfinishing 16th at the end of the2018–19 Süper Lig season and being relegated to theTFF First League. A few years earlier, Bursaspor had managed to become theTurkish champions at the end of the2009–10 Süper Lig season, thereby becoming the second Anatolian club to ever win the Süper Lig championship title after Trabzonspor. Henceforth, Bursaspor was often considered to be one of the five biggest football clubs in Turkey, along withGalatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş and Trabzonspor. The club's relegation to the TFF First League at the end of the 2018–19 season was a major shock for its fans and became a first in the history of Turkish football. Never had a club which had won the Süper Lig championship title been relegated.
Bursaspor plays its home games at theTimsah Arena (meaning "Crocodile Arena",crocodile being the mascot of the team), which has a seating capacity of 45,000.
The current mayor of the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality,Mustafa Bozbey [tr], is elected from the main opposition party,Republican People's Party (CHP), in March 2024.
Alinur Aktaş from theJustice and Development Party (AKP) was in office between 2019 and 2024, when the AKP coalition won 49.6% of the vote against the CHP coalition which got 47% of the vote.[49]
Ulu Cami is the largest mosque in Bursa and a landmark of earlyOttoman architecture, which incorporated many elements fromSeljuk architecture.
Ordered by SultanBayezid I, the mosque was designed and built by architect Ali Neccar in 1396–1400. It is a large and rectangular building, with a total of twenty domes that are arranged in four rows of five, and are supported by 12 columns. Supposedly the twenty domes were built instead of the twenty separate mosques which SultanBayezid I had promised for winning theBattle of Nicopolis in 1396. The mosque has twominarets.
Inside the mosque, there are 192 monumental wall inscriptions written by the famouscalligraphers of that period. There is also a fountain (şadırvan) where worshipers can performritual ablutions before prayer; the dome over the şadırvan is capped by a skylight which creates a soft, serene light below; thus playing an important role in the illumination of the large building.
The horizontally spacious and dimly lit interior is designed to feel peaceful and contemplative. The subdivisions of space formed by multiple domes and pillars create a sense of privacy and even intimacy. This atmosphere contrasts with the later Ottoman mosques (see for example the works ofSuleiman the Magnificent's chief architect,Mimar Sinan.) The mosques that were built after theconquest of Constantinople (Istanbul) by the Ottoman Turks in 1453, and influenced by the design of the 6th century Byzantine basilica ofHagia Sophia, had increasingly elevated and large central domes, which create a vertical emphasis that is intended to be more overwhelming; to convey the divine power of Allah, the majesty of the Ottoman Sultan, and the governmental authority of the Ottoman State.
Botanical Park of BursaThe village ofCumalıkızık, near Bursa, is aUNESCO World Heritage Site withOttoman era historic houses.
^Özek, Chengiz (2018)."500 years of Karagöz".Journal of Studies on Theater of Animated Forms.1 (Móin Móin): 237.doi:10.5965/2595034701152016234. Retrieved22 August 2025 – via Academic.edu.According to one of these, Hacivat was a stonemason and Karagöz a blacksmith during the reign of Sultan Osman in the early 14th century. While the pair was working on the construction of a mosque in Bursa they distracted the other workers with their witty repartee, so that the work fell behind schedule and the sultan ordered their execution.
^Roodenberg, J. J. (1995).The Ilıpınar Excavations I. the University of Michigan: Nederlands Historisch-Archaeologisch Institut in het Nabije Oosten te Istanbul.ISBN90-6258-073-4.
^"Ottoman Capital Bursa".Official website of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey. Archived fromthe original on 14 January 2015. Retrieved19 December 2014....in 1363 the Ottoman capital moved from Bursa to Edirne, although Bursa retained its spiritual and economic importance.
^Mustafa Zahit Öner (2021).Anadolu'da Yunan Zulüm ve Vahşeti (in Turkish). İstanbul, Türkiye: DBY Yayınları. pp. 265–267.ISBN978-625-7760-27-0.OCLC1236894121.
^Moustakis, Vasilios (2000).Λόγια του κανονιέρη. 1079 μέρες συνοδοιπόροι με το θάνατο! [Words of the gunner. 1079 days of companionship with death!] (in Greek). New York, USA. p. 64.Στον σταθμό, είχαν περάσει τα Πεζικά και είχαν βάλει φωτιά. Είδαμε έναν έφιππο, Άγγλο στρατηγό, που διέταξε να σβήσουν τη φωτιά, γιατί αν καιγόταν η Προύσα, θα ήταν εις βάρος της Ελλάδος [At the station, the infantry had passed and set fire. We saw a mounted English general who ordered the fire to be put out, because if Bursa burned, it would be to the detriment of Greece]{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^Eminov, Ali,Turks and Other Muslim Minorities in Bulgaria, New York, Routledge, 1997, Höpken, W., "Modernisierung und Nationalismus: Sozialgeschichtliche Aspekte der bulgarischen Minderheitenpolitik gegenüber den Türken" in: SOE 7-8 (1986), Schönfeld, R., ed,Nationalitätenprobleme in Südosteuropa, Munich, Oldenbourg, 1997, p. 255-303, Erdinç, Didar, "Bulgaristan'daki Değişim Sürecinde Türk Azınlığın Ekonomik Durumu",Türkler, Ankara, 2002, s.394–400.
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