Bursa is Turkey's fourth-largest city and the first capital of the Ottoman Empire, nestled at the foot of Uludağ mountain on the southern shore of the Sea of Marmara. Known as 'Yeşil Bursa' (Green Bursa) for its abundant parks and forests, the city blends extraordinary Ottoman heritage with modern industry, thermal spas, alpine skiing, and the birthplace of İskender kebap.
Top attractions
The most popular and significant attractions in Bursa.
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1
Ulu Cami (Grand Mosque)
Built in the 1390s under Sultan Bayezid I, this is the largest Ottoman-era mosque in Bursa and one of the earliest examples of the multi-domed Ottoman mosque plan, with twenty domes carried on twelve massive piers instead of a single central dome. Inside, the walls are covered with large-scale calligraphic panels rather than figurative decoration, and a şadırvan (ablution fountain) sits directly beneath a domed skylight in the middle of the prayer hall. It remains an active mosque in the middle of Bursa's commercial district, so it fills with worshippers at prayer times.
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2
Yeşil Cami (Green Mosque)
Commissioned by Sultan Mehmed I and completed in the 1420s, this mosque marks the transition from the earlier multi-dome Ulu Cami style toward the more T-shaped, iwan-based plan that later Ottoman architecture built on. It's known for the green-blue Iznik and Bursa tiles that cover its mihrab and lower walls, unusually vivid for a building of this early period. The sultan's private loge above the entrance, faced entirely in tilework, is one of the more distinctive interior features from this construction phase.
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3
Yeşil Türbe (Green Tomb)
This mausoleum holds the sarcophagus of Sultan Mehmed I, who commissioned the adjacent Yeşil Cami, and sits on a hill above it with a view down over that part of Yıldırım district. The exterior tiles seen today are largely 19th-century restoration work rather than original 15th-century tiling, but the interior retains original tiled panels and a large carved wooden door. It's a short, self-contained stop that pairs naturally with a Yeşil Cami visit since they're a few minutes' walk apart.
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4
Uludağ National Park
Uludağ is the mountain overlooking Bursa, reachable by a cable car (teleferik) that climbs from the edge of the city to a plateau area used for hiking in summer and skiing in winter. The park itself is forested lower down, opening into alpine terrain higher up, and the cable car ride alone gives a long view back over Bursa and the plain below. In winter this is Turkey's most-visited ski area with a cluster of hotels near the slopes, while in summer it's mainly a cooler-air day trip from the city.
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5
Koza Han (Silk Bazaar)
Built in 1491 under Sultan Bayezid II, this two-story caravanserai around a courtyard was built specifically for the silk cocoon trade, and Bursa's raw silk cocoon auctions were historically held in its courtyard. Today the ground-floor arcade and upper gallery are lined with shops selling silk scarves, fabric, and textiles, with a small mosque (mescit) on a raised platform in the middle of the courtyard. It sits right next to Ulu Cami, so it's an easy combined stop in the old commercial core.
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6
Cumalıkızık Village
Cumalıkızık is a preserved Ottoman-era village at the foot of Uludağ, with timber-framed houses on stone ground floors lining narrow, sloped cobblestone streets, and it's part of the UNESCO-listed 'Bursa and Cumalıkızık' World Heritage site. Many houses are still lived in, and the village functions as a small working community alongside its tourism, with produce stalls and simple eateries set up along the main street. It gives a sense of pre-Republic Anatolian village layout that's largely gone from Bursa's own urban core.
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7
Bursa Muradiye Complex
This is a mosque, medrese, and cemetery complex built by Sultan Murad II in the 1420s, best known for the row of twelve domed türbe (tomb) buildings scattered through its garden, holding Murad II himself along with several Ottoman princes and family members. Unlike the single, tightly grouped tombs at Yeşil Türbe, these mausoleums are spread through a quiet, planted garden setting, several with original 15th- and 16th-century tilework inside. It's less visited than Ulu Cami or Yeşil Cami, so the garden itself tends to be calm even when the tombs draw a few visitors.
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8
Bursa Castle (Hisar)
This is the old citadel core of Bursa, built up on the rock outcrop that the city's Ottoman-era center grew around, with sections of the original defensive walls and gates still standing amid a now-residential neighborhood. It's less a single monument to tour than a walkable historic quarter, with narrow streets, old wooden houses, and view points where the walls meet the cliff edge. The tombs of Osman and Orhan, the first two Ottoman rulers, sit within this hilltop area as well.
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9
Irgandı Bridge Bazaar
This is an Ottoman-era stone bridge over the Gökdere stream that was rebuilt with a row of small shops lining both sides, in the same idea as Florence's Ponte Vecchio. Craftspeople work and sell from the arcaded units on the bridge itself, so you're shopping while standing over the water rather than in a conventional street.
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10
Bursa Archaeological Museum
Set inside Kültür Parkı, this museum holds finds excavated from Bursa and the surrounding region, spanning from early Bronze Age burial goods through Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman-period objects. The collection is arranged to trace the area's long occupation before and after it became an Ottoman capital.
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Explore by your interests.
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Practical information
What you need to know before you go.
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- Mosque visits: cover shoulders and knees; headscarves available for loan at mosque entrances, Photography inside mosques is allowed but do not photograph worshippers during prayer, English signage is limited outside main monuments; download Google Maps offline for Bursa, Most museums close on Mondays — plan accordingly
Tips for visiting attractions
Make the most of your sightseeing time.
Visit popular attractions early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid crowds and harsh midday light.
Book tickets online in advance for major attractions to skip long queues and sometimes save money.
Many cities offer multi-attraction passes that include public transport. Calculate whether they save you money based on your itinerary.
Frequently asked questions
Are Bursa's mosques free to visit?
Yes, all of Bursa's major mosques including Ulu Cami, Yeşil Cami, and Emir Sultan Mosque are free to enter. Modest dress is required — remove shoes, cover heads (scarves available at entrance), and shoulders and knees must be covered.
How do I get to Cumalıkızık from Bursa?
Minibuses (dolmuş) depart from Heykel in central Bursa toward Cumalıkızık roughly every 30–40 minutes. The journey takes about 40 minutes and costs ₺20–25 (~$0.58–$0.72) each way. Taxis take 25 minutes and cost around ₺250 (~$7.25).