Turkey: Bursa – Grand Mosque of Bursa
Bursa was the Ottoman’s Empire first capital and its historic core is a UNESCO World Heritage site. One of the most impressive structures is Ulu Cami or Grand Masque, right in the heart of the city, a mammoth building with minarets and domes. Sultan Beyazid I built the mosque in 1396-99 to commemorate his victory in the Battle of Nicopolis against the crusader army. The actual story is that before the battle the sultan promised to built 20 mosques if he won, and then after the victory he instead ordered the Great Mosque built with 20 domes in it (I guess this realizing significant saving in labor and budget, as any prudent sultan should have). The mosque is truly massive, square in foundation with two minarets and a space for 5000 worshippers covered with 20 domes. The interior is painted with Islamic calligraphy and there is a fountain in the middle. To get a panoramic views of the humongous building, get to the rooftop restaurants up the hill from the mosque.
