Bursa

Bursa is a city in northwestern Turkey and serves as the administrative center of Bursa Province. It is the fourth-most populous city in Turkey and the second-most populous in the Marmara Region after Istanbul. As of the end of 2025, the province had a population of about 3.3 million, with the city itself home to roughly 2.5 million people.

Historically, Bursa was known as Prusa or Prousa in Ancient Greek, and it served as the capital of the Ottoman Empire from 1335 until the 1360s. Today, Bursa is an important industrial center, especially for Turkey's automotive production. The city is famous for its many parks, gardens, and surrounding forests, earning it the nickname Yeşil Bursa, meaning "Green Bursa."

Bursa is rich in history and culture. It is home to the mausoleums of early Ottoman sultans, along with many old buildings from the Ottoman period. The city also features thermal baths, traditional mansions, palaces, and several museums. Nearby, Mount Uludağ rises above the city and offers a popular ski resort. According to some stories, the characters of the traditional shadow play, Karagöz and Hacivat, were based on people who lived in Bursa during the 14th century.

History

See also: Timeline of Bursa and Prousa

Antiquity

The earliest known human settlement near Bursa was at Ilıpınar Mound around 6000 BC. Later, the Bithynian city of Prusa was built by King Prusias I of Bithynia. The city was also called Prusa ad Olympum because it sat at the foot of Mount Uludaş. One special feature of Prusa was its hot springs, called the "royal waters." In 75/74 BC, Nicomedes IV, the last king of Bithynia, left his kingdom to the Roman Republic before he died.

A letter to Roman Emperor Trajan by the writer Pliny the Younger mentions building baths in Prusa after getting permission from the emperor.

An early Roman artifact made of woman's silver toiletry articles was found in Bursa and is now kept in the British Museum since 1913.

Middle Ages

Encyclopædia Britannica says that when Prusa was ruled by the Byzantines, the city grew after the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I built a palace there. Prusa became a garrison city in 562, where guards were stationed. By the mid-6th century, Prusa was famous for making silk textiles.

Bursa became the capital of the early Ottoman Empire after it was captured from the Byzantines in 1326. During Ottoman rule, the city grew with new buildings such as hospitals, caravanserais (including the Koza Han), and madrasas. The first Ottoman mint was set up in the city. After the Ottomans took Adrianople (later Edirne) in East Thrace in the 1360s, it became the new capital.

Even though Bursa was no longer the capital, it stayed important for religion and trade in the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I built the Bayezid I Complex (which includes the Bayezid I Mosque) between 1390 and 1395 and the Grand Mosque of Bursa between 1396 and 1400. After Bayezid was defeated and captured in the Battle of Ankara by Emir Timur in 1402, Timur’s forces attacked and burned Bursa. Timur then let a son of Savcı Bey manage Bursa. Later, Bursa was taken over by Mehmed Çelebi after the Battle of Ulubad in 1403. In 1487, Bursa had 174 neighborhoods with 6,457 families paying taxes.

Bursa was a center for the Ottoman silk trade. The city had a dockyard for ships and was a key place for moving silk and other goods from the East, especially from Ming China, to the Mediterranean world, including Genoa and Florence. Bursa was also a popular resort town with many springs and baths.

Modern Era

Bursa’s industry grew in the 20th century with factories for textiles, cars, and farming products. Public and private businesses also started up in the city.

People have moved to Bursa for many years. Many came after wars and changes in borders, especially from places like Rumelia, Romania, and Bulgaria. Later, many Turkish people from Bulgaria also moved to Bursa. The city became a popular place for immigrants because of its jobs and businesses, and because it felt familiar to people from certain parts of Turkey.

Jewish community

Bursa had a small Jewish community even before the Ottoman conquest in 1326. Later, Sephardic Jews came to the city after they were expelled from Spain in 1492.

Most Jews in Bursa lived in a neighborhood called Kuruçeşme. Though a fire destroyed one synagogue in 1851, two others stayed. Bursa’s Jewish community changed in size over time but was never very large. By 2021, only 60 Jews remained in Bursa, with one working synagogue and one Jewish cemetery.

Geography

Bursa is a city in northwestern Turkey. It is located on the slopes of Mount Uludağ and near the Nilüfer River. The city is the capital of Bursa Province, which is next to the Sea of Marmara and several other areas.

Climate

Bursa has a Mediterranean climate. Summers are hot and dry, while winters are cool and rainy. Sometimes there is snow that stays on the ground for a short time. Air pollution can be a problem in the city.

Economy

Bursa is a very important city for making cars in Turkey. Big companies like Fiat, Renault, and Karsan have factories there, along with many other companies that make car parts.

The city is also known for its textiles and food. You can find brands like Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola there, as well as places that make fresh and canned food. Bursa also makes dairy products, processed food, and drinks.

Traditionally, Bursa was famous for trading silk. Today, it is still a big place for textiles. The city is also known for its skiing on Mount Uludağ and its warm thermal baths, which people have used for health for many years.

Transportation

Bursa has a metro called Bursaray, trams, and buses to help people get around the city. You can also take taxis. The city has an airport called Yenişehir Airport, but it is a bit far from the center. Many people in Bursa fly from Istanbul’s airports, like Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, because Istanbul is close by. There are many buses and ferries that go between Bursa and Istanbul every day.

There is a special cable car called the Bursa Uludağ Gondola that takes people up the mountain Uludağ, which is a popular place for winter sports. The main train station in Bursa is Harmancık, and it is part of a train line between Balıkesir and Kütahya. People in Bursa usually spend about an hour each day using public transport to get to work or school.

Education

Bursa has two public universities and one private university. Uludağ University, started in 1975, is the oldest university in the city. It has around 47,000 students. Bursa Technical University is the second public university and began in 2010.

The first private university was Bursa Orhangazi University, which started in 2012 but closed later. Istanbul Commerce University also offers graduate programs in Bursa. There are vocational high schools, including Bursa Sports High School and Bursa Agriculture Vocational High School, located in the Osmangazi district.

Sports

Bursa has a professional football club called Bursaspor. Bursaspor used to play in the top league of Turkish football but was moved to a lower league after the 2018–19 season. However, Bursaspor once won the Turkish championship in the 2009–10 season, making it a well-known team in Turkey.

Bursaspor’s home games are held at Timsah Arena, which can hold 45,000 fans. The city also has three professional basketball teams that compete in the Turkish Basketball League, including Bursaspor and Tofaş S.K.. Another team, Final Spor, plays in the second division.

Politics

The mayor of Bursa is Mustafa Bozbey, who was elected in March 2024. He is from the Republican People's Party (CHP). Before him, Alinur Aktaş served as mayor from 2019 to 2024. He was from the Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Culture and tourism

Ulu Cami (Grand Mosque)

Ulu Cami is the largest mosque in Bursa and a famous example of early Ottoman architecture, which used ideas from Seljuk design.

Built between 1396 and 1400, the mosque was ordered by Sultan Bayezid I and designed by architect Ali Neccar. It is a big, rectangular building with twenty domes arranged in four rows of five, supported by twelve columns. The mosque also has two minarets.

Inside, there are 192 beautiful wall writings made by famous calligraphers from that time. There is a special fountain (şadırvan) where people can wash before prayers, and a dome above it lets in soft light.

The wide, dimly lit inside feels calm and peaceful. The space divided by many domes and pillars creates a private, cozy feeling. This is different from later Ottoman mosques, which often have one big central dome to give a grand, powerful look.

Mosques and külliye complexes

• Bursa Grand Mosque and külliye
• Yeşil Mosque and külliye
• Bayezid I Mosque and külliye
• Muradiye Mosque and külliye
• Emir Sultan Mosque and külliye
• Orhan Gazi Mosque and külliye
• Hüdavendigar Mosque and külliye
• Koca Sinan Paşa Mosque and külliye
• İshak Paşa Mosque and külliye
• Karacabey Grand Mosque
• Karabaş-i Veli Cultural Centre
• Somuncu Baba Mosque
• Üftade Tekkesi Mosque and complex
• Babasultan Mosque and complex

Bazaars and caravanserais

• Yıldırım Bazaar (bedesten)
• Koza Han
• Pirinç Han
• İpek Han

Other historic monuments

• Bursa Castle
• Irgandı Bridge
• İnkaya Sycamore, a massive and impressive 600-year-old tree (Platanus orientalis)

Museums

• Bursa Archaeological Museum
• Bursa Atatürk Museum,
• Bursa City Museum,
• Bursa Energy Museum
• Bursa Forestry Museum
• Bursa Karagöz Museum
• Bursa Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art
• Bursa Turkish Architecture Museum
• İznik Museum
• Mudanya Armistice House
• Museum of Ottoman House
• Tofaş Museum of Cars and Anatolian Carriages

Parks and gardens

• Uludağ National Park
• Bursa Zoo and Botanical Garden
• Bursa Hüdavendigar Kent Park

Hot springs and thermal baths

• Keramet hot spring
• Çekirge hot spring
• Armutlu hot spring
• Oylat hot spring
• Gemlik hot spring
• Çelik Palas thermal bath

Gallery

Bursa Citadel Main Gate

[Orhan Gazi](/wiki/Orhan_Gazi) Mosque

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  Emir Sultan Mosque

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  Koza Han (Silk Bazaar) in Bursa

Entrance of the [Yeşil Cami](/wiki/Yeşil_Mosque) (Green Mosque)

[Muradiye Mosque and Külliye](/wiki/Muradiye_Complex) in Bursa

Governorate of Bursa

[Mt. Uludağ](/wiki/Uludağ) is a popular ski destination.

Statue of Atatürk in Bursa

Şehreküstü Mosque

Interior of Yeşil Mosque

Bursa French Catholic Church

Saltanatkapı (Citadel Main Gate)

Old City Hall

Tophane Clocktower

Tomb of [Osman Gazi](/wiki/Osman_Gazi)

Tomb of Orhan Gazi

Interior of the Grand Mosque

Koza Han (Silk Bazaar)

[Irgandı Bridge](/wiki/Irgandı_Bridge)

A view of Bursa in the late 19th century

Bursa, c. 1895

Atatürk delivering a speech in Bursa, 1924

A view of Bursa from the foothills of [Mt. Uludağ](/wiki/Uludağ)

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Turkey

Bursa is twinned with:

• Darmstadt, Germany (1971)
• Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (1972)
• Oulu, Finland (1978)
• Kairouan, Tunisia (1987)
• Anshan, China (1991)
• Bitola, North Macedonia (1996)
• Ceadîr-Lunga, Moldova (1997)
• Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan (1997)
• Mascara, Algeria (1998)
• Kulmbach, Germany (1998)
• Pleven, Bulgaria (1998)
• Plovdiv, Bulgaria (1998)
• Tirana, Albania (1998)
• Košice, Slovakia (2000)
• Vinnytsia, Ukraine (2004)
• Szentendre, Hungary (2005)
• Pristina, Kosovo (2010)
• Bakhchysarai, Ukraine (2010)
• Momchilgrad, Bulgaria (2010)
• Mogilev, Belarus (2013)
• Hebron, Palestine (2014)
• Herzliya, Israel (2014)
• Veliko Tărnovo, Bulgaria (2017)
• Galkayo, Somalia (2018)