Bursa – the first capital of the Ottoman Empire, situated in the northern west part of Turkey, in the distance of around 25 kilometres from the shore of the Sea of Marmara. In 2014 it was put on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Bursa is at the foot of the mountain Uludağ, which is the centre of winter sports in Turkey, and also provides sources of water, known for years for its curing features. Uludağ, reaching more than 2500 metres, is the highest peak of the region Marmara. According to legends and myths, from its summit gods were supposed to observe the Trojan War. Maybe due to this, the mountain is being called the Turkish Olympus.
Lovers of history of the Ottoman Empire surely will be interested in the fact that in Bursa, thanks to being once the capital, there are many mausoleums of the rulers of that time. Among them the tomb of Osman, the founder of the empire. In the old district of the city, you can admire also others buildings from the 14th and the 15th century, including mosques, that are almost perfect examples of architecture from that times. An interesting building, though for completely different reasons, is the shopping mall Zafer Plaza, that has the shape of glass pyramid.
If you would like to make shopping in a bit more traditional way, go to the market. The most popular is the Covered Bazaar, whose history reportedly goes back to the 14th century! Its huge advantage is the fact, that there are not many tourists there, thanks to which prices are not very high. Other interesting market is Koza Han, on which sold are mainly silk fabrics.
If you want to try dishes of regional cuisine, we have some good recommendations for you of restaurants. Famous for very good Turkish dishes are, for instance, Uludag Kebapcisi at Uluyol Sirin Sokak 12 or Tavaci Refik, whose address is Canbali Mahallesi, Sifa Sokak 9. If you fancy seafood, go to a restaurant By Ahtapotus by Akademi Caddesi 10/B.
