Bursa: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Bursa was the first great capital of the Ottomans, taken by Orhan in 1326 and held as the seat of the dynasty until Edirne and then Istanbul replaced it. The first six sultans built here, and several of them are buried here. This walk goes from the founders' tombs on Tophane hill, down through the Grand Mosque, across the stream to the Green Mosque and back west to Muradiye. It takes most of a day; the Muradiye leg is easiest by taxi or tram.
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A short history of Bursa
Bursa is named after Prusias I, king of Bithynia, who founded it in the 2nd century BC at the foot of Mysian Olympus, today's Uludağ. In 1326 Orhan captured it, and it became the first capital of the Ottoman Empire. The Grand Mosque, with 20 domes, was built here in 1399, and the first sultans, among them Osman and Orhan, were buried here. The city became famous for its silk and its hot baths. In 2014 Bursa and the nearby village of Cumalıkızık were declared a World Heritage Site.
The ten best sights in Bursa
1Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami)Twenty domes and a fountain inside the prayer hall; visitors enter outside prayer times, women cover hair
2Green Mosque (Yeşil Cami)Go inside for the tiles: the blue-green walls are the reason the whole district is called Yeşil
3Green Tomb (Yeşil Türbe)Across the road from the Green Mosque; the turquoise tomb of Sultan Mehmed I sits on a terrace with a view
4Tombs of Osman and OrhanThe founder of the Ottoman dynasty and his son lie here, on the Tophane hill above the old town
5Emir Sultan MosqueLocals come to pray at the tomb of a revered Sufi; dress modestly, the courtyard looks over the city
6Karagöz MuseumShadow puppets from Bursa's own folk tale; ask about the short shows, often on weekends
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7Bursa City Museum
An hour here explains the silk, the sultans and the crafts before you walk the bazaar
8Hüsnü Züber HouseA wooden Ottoman house with a carved-spoon collection, in the old lanes near Muradiye
9Irgandı BridgeA bridge lined with craft shops over the Gökdere stream, between the bazaar and the Green Mosque
10Tophane Clock TowerThe terrace next to the tombs is the best free view over the city and the plain
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Bursa →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Bursa:
Free walking tours in Bursa
The first capital
Bursa was the first great capital of the Ottomans, taken by Orhan in 1326 and held as the seat of the dynasty until Edirne and then Istanbul replaced it. The first six sultans built here, and several of them are buried here. This walk goes from the founders' tombs on Tophane hill, down through the Grand Mosque, across the stream to the Green Mosque and back west to Muradiye. It takes most of a day; the Muradiye leg is easiest by taxi or tram.
- Tombs of Osman and Orhan · Osman, the founder of the dynasty, died before his son Orhan took Bursa in 1326; Orhan brought his father's body here and buried him in a converted Byzantine church. The tombs you see were rebuilt by Sultan Abdülaziz after the earthquake of 1855 destroyed the old ones.
- Orhan Gazi Mosque · Built by Orhan in 1339, one of the first mosques of the new state. In 1413 raiders from the rival Karaman dynasty set it on fire, and it was restored under Mehmed I.
- Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami) · Sultan Bayezid I is said to have vowed twenty mosques if he won the battle of Nicopolis in 1396; he built one mosque with twenty domes instead. Finished in 1399, it keeps an ablution fountain inside the prayer hall, under the central dome.
- Green Mosque (Yeşil Cami) · Built for Mehmed I between 1419 and 1421. An inscription inside credits the tile work to "the masters of Tabriz", craftsmen brought from Persia; the porch planned for the front was never built.
- Green Tomb (Yeşil Türbe) · Mehmed I, who reunited the empire after a decade of civil war between Bayezid's sons, died in 1421 and lies here under a tiled sarcophagus. Most of the turquoise tiles outside are replacements put up after the 1855 earthquake.
Silk, kebab and the bazaar
For centuries Bursa lived on silk: Persian raw silk arrived by caravan, and the city's looms turned it into cloth for the palace and for export. The caravanserais where it was traded still stand in the middle of the bazaar, full of scarves, towels and tea. This walk stays within a kilometre, ending at the bridge of shops, with lunch at the place that gave its name to İskender kebab. Two to three hours; the bazaar is closed on Sundays.
- Koza Han · Built in 1491 under Bayezid II, it was the trading floor of the silk cocoon, koza in Turkish. Cocoon auctions are still held here in early summer, and a small mosque stands on arches above the fountain in the courtyard.
- Emir Han · Built under Orhan in the 14th century as part of his mosque complex, its rents paid for the mosque's upkeep. Merchants slept upstairs and kept their animals and goods below.
- Bursa City Museum · Bursa was the western end of a silk road: raw silk came from Persia by caravan, and the city wove it into brocade for the palace. The museum tells that story along with the city's crafts.
- Kebapçı İskender · The family says İskender Efendi first served sliced döner on pide with tomato sauce and hot butter here in 1867. The dish took his name, and the family still runs the shop.
- Irgandı Bridge · Built in 1442 with shops along both sides, it is one of the very few bridges of its kind still in use anywhere. It was badly damaged in the 20th century and rebuilt in 2004, now with craft workshops.
The mountain and the lake
Above the city rises Uludağ, the great mountain, snow-covered half the year and green the other half. Below it on the plain lie Ottoman villages, and to the west a lake with a village almost cut off by water. This is a car day: east to Cumalıkızık for breakfast, up by cable car, and west to Gölyazı for the sunset. Bring a warm layer for the mountain even in summer.
- Cumalıkızık · The village was founded as a waqf village around 700 years ago, at the time of the first Ottomans. In 2014 UNESCO listed it together with Bursa's early monuments as the place where the Ottoman Empire was born.
- Uludağ Cable Car · The first cable car up the mountain opened in 1963. The line rebuilt in 2014 runs about 9 km to the hotel area, among the longest cable car rides in the world.
- Sarıalan · The cable car's middle station opens onto forest meadows where Bursa families come to grill on summer weekends; you can rent a grill spot and buy the meat nearby.
- Uludağ National Park · In antiquity the mountain was called the Mysian Olympus. Its summit reaches 2,543 m, and it has been a national park since 1961; Turkey's oldest ski resort grew up on its slopes.
- İnkaya Plane Tree · The tree is said to be about 600 years old, roughly as old as the Ottoman mosques in town, and it is registered as a protected monument tree.
- Gölyazı · The village stands on the site of ancient Apollonia ad Rhyndacum, and stones of its walls are still built into the houses. Lake Uluabat around it is a protected wetland where storks and pelicans feed.
Getting to Bursa and getting around
- Bursa Yenişehir Airport · Small airport 45 minutes east with a few domestic flights; most visitors arrive via Istanbul
- Bursa Bus Terminal · Nine km north of the centre on the Istanbul road; the T2 tram runs from here to Kent Meydanı
- Kent Meydanı tram stop · Leave the car and take the tram: parking near the bazaar is scarce and the streets are steep
Cheap eats in Bursa
Bursa gave Turkey its most famous kebab: İskender, sliced döner on pide under tomato sauce and hot butter, with yoghurt alongside. The province adds its own meatballs from nearby İnegöl, and the sweet of the city is candied chestnut from the slopes of Uludağ. Lunch is the main kebab meal, and the old kebab houses near the bazaar fill up between noon and two.
- Kebapçı İskender · The original İskender kebab near Heykel, a portion about 800-1,000 lira; prices change often
- Uludağ Kebapçısı Cemal & Cemil Usta · The rival İskender house north of the centre; a portion about 800-1,000 lira
- Tophane Kebapçısı · Kebab by the clock tower after the tombs, a plate about 500-900 lira
- Köfteci Yusuf · İnegöl-style meatballs from a Bursa-province chain, a portion about 300-500 lira
- Koza Han courtyard tea · A glass of tea under the trees of the silk han, about 30-50 lira
Museums in Bursa
- Karagöz Museum · Shadow puppets of camel hide and the story of Bursa's two most famous comedians
- Bursa City Museum · Sultans, silk and crafts in one building near Heykel; about an hour
- Archaeology Museum · Roman and Byzantine Prusa, in the Çekirge park
- Tofaş Museum of Anatolian Carriages · Carriages and carts in an old silk factory by the Green Mosque
- Merinos Textile Museum · A wool mill of the young republic, with its machines, inside a city park
- Hüsnü Züber House · A painted wooden house with carved spoons and folk instruments
Nature and day trips near Bursa
- Uludağ National Park · Forest, meadows and ski runs above the city; the road is long, the cable car is quicker
- Sarıalan · The cable car's middle station; picnic and grill meadows in the pines
- İnkaya Plane Tree · Tea under a centuries-old tree, ten minutes from Çekirge
- Gölyazı · Lake village of fishermen and storks; walk round the near-island at sunset
- Soğanlı Botanical Park · Lawns, ponds and shade in the city, next to the zoo
Things to do in Bursa with kids
- Uludağ Cable Car · The ride itself is the attraction: long, high and over the forest
- Bursa Zoo · A large zoo inside the Botanical Park; give it two hours
- Karagöz shadow show · Short puppet shows at the museum; the slapstick works without Turkish
- Tofaş Carriage Museum · Old carriages and carts up close; small and easy for kids
Where to eat in Bursa
- İskender Efendi Konağı · The İskender family's larger restaurant in a mansion, calmer for dinner
- Tayyare Cultural Centre · Concerts and shows in a 1930s building across from the bazaar; check the poster
- Mudanya seafront · Fish dinner by the Sea of Marmara, half an hour north
- Cumalıkızık evening · Village gözleme and tea in the lanes after the day crowds leave
Frequently asked questions about Bursa
What is there to see in Bursa?
The top sights in Bursa are Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami), Green Mosque (Yeşil Cami) and Green Tomb (Yeşil Türbe). The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Bursa?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Bursa without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Bursa?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Bursa, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The first capital.
How do you get to Bursa and get around?
The main ways are Bursa Yenişehir Airport, Bursa Bus Terminal and Kent Meydanı tram stop. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Bursa, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Bursa that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Bursa for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.