Turkey: Bursa – Exploring Historic Center
As the former first capital of the Ottoman Empire, Bursa has a lot to offer. Besides the famous Grand Mosque, there is an arguably more beautiful much smoke Yesil Cami aka Green Mosque from 1419, with intricate green tile work and marble carvings and calligraphy on the walls and richly adorned ceilings. Across from the mosque is the green-tiled Green Tomb, the mausoleum of the sultan Mehmet I, built in 1421. The decorations and tile work inside are truly astounding. Also nearby is an old medrese, now turned into a Museum of Tilework. The entire old town is on a high ground offering panoramic views of the larger megapolis below. And above the old town stands the ruined Bursa Citadel.
