Bursa

{{see also|Timeline of Bursa history|Prousa}}

File:Archaeological Museum 6978.jpg, bronze, 2nd century AD, at Bursa Archaeological Museum]]

The earliest known human settlement near Bursa's current location was at Ilıpınar Höyüğü around 5200 BC.{{Cite book|title = The Ilıpınar Excavations I|last = Roodenberg|first = J. J.|publisher = Nederlands Historisch-Archaeologisch Institut in het Nabije Oosten te Istanbul|year = 1995|isbn = 9062580734|location = the University of Michigan}} It was followed by the ancient Greek city of Cius, which Philip V of Macedon granted to Prusias I, the King of Bithynia, in 202 BC. King Prusias rebuilt the city with the advice of general Hannibal of Carthage, who took refuge with Prusias after losing the war with the Roman Republic and renamed it Prusa ({{langx|grc|Προῦσα}}; sometimes rendered as Prussa). After 128 years of Bithynian rule, Nicomedes IV, the last King of Bithynia, bequeathed the entire kingdom to the Roman Empire in 74 BC. An early Roman Treasure was found near Bursa in the early 20th century. Composed of a woman's silver toilet articles, it is now in the British Museum.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/search.aspx?searchText=Bursa,+tomb|title=British Museum - Collection search: You searched for Bursa, tomb|work=British Museum|access-date=25 May 2015}}

Under Byzantine rule, the town became a garrison city in 562, where imperial guards were stationed. Already by the mid-6th century, Bursa was known as a famous silk textile manufacturing centre.{{Cite book |last1=Dumper |first1=Michael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3SapTk5iGDkC |title=Cities of the Middle East and North Africa |last2=Stanley |first2=Bruce E. |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2007 |pages=101 |isbn=9781576079195 |language=en}}

Bursa (from the Greek "Prusa") became the first major capital city of the early Ottoman Empire following its capture from the Byzantines in 1326. As a result, the city witnessed a considerable amount of urban growth such as the building of hospitals, caravanserais and madrasas throughout the 14th century, with the first official Ottoman mint established in the city. After conquering Edirne (Adrianople) in East Thrace, the Ottomans turned it into the new capital city in 1360s, but Bursa retained its spiritual and commercial importance in the Ottoman Empire."In 1363 the Ottoman capital moved from Bursa to Edirne, although Bursa retained its spiritual and economic importance." Official website of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey. Retrieved 19 December 2014. The Ottoman sultan Bayezid I built the Bayezid Külliyesi (Bayezid I theological complex) in Bursa between 1390 and 1395{{cite web|url=http://www.archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=2872 |title=Bayezid I Complex |publisher=ArchNet |access-date=2009-06-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525072605/http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=2872 |archive-date=2011-05-25 }} and the Ulu Cami (Grand Mosque) between 1396 and 1400.{{cite web|url=http://www.archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=2881|title=Great Mosque of Bursa|publisher=ArchNet|access-date=2009-06-28|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919214518/http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=2881|archive-date=2011-09-19}} After Bayezid was defeated in the Battle of Ankara by the forces of Timur in 1402, the latter's grandson, Muhammad Sultan Mirza, had the city pillaged and burned.Mohammad Habib, Khaliq Ahmad Nizami, A Comprehensive History Of India Vol.-V: The Delhi Sultanat (1970), p. 128 Despite this, Bursa remained as the most important administrative and commercial centre in the empire until Mehmed II conquered Constantinople in 1453. The population of Bursa was 45,000 in 1487.

{{Historical populations |type = |footnote = |align=left|1487|45000|1927 |61451|1955 |128875|1980|487604 |2000 |1184144 |2015|1854285||}}The city in the Islamic world, Volume 1, ed. Salma Khadra Jayyusi, Renata Holod, Attilio Petruccioli, André Raymond, page 362.

During the Ottoman period, Bursa continued to be the source of most royal silk products. Aside from the local silk production, the city imported raw silk from Iran, and occasionally from China, and was the main production centre for the kaftans, pillows, embroidery and other silk products for the Ottoman palaces until the 17th century.{{Cite journal |last=Chen |first=Yuan Julian |date=2021-10-11 |title=Between the Islamic and Chinese Universal Empires: The Ottoman Empire, Ming Dynasty, and Global Age of Explorations |url=https://www.academia.edu/59068575 |journal=Journal of Early Modern History |volume=25 |issue=5 |pages=422–456 |doi=10.1163/15700658-bja10030 |s2cid=244587800 |issn=1385-3783}} Devshirme system was also implemented in Bursa and its surroundings where it was negotiated between the authorities and locals. For example, during the 1603-4 levy, the villagers of a Christian village called Eğerciler, in Bursa, declared that they were responsible for providing sheep to the capital, and the children of the village were very much needed as shepherds. They asserted that even though they were not obliged to give any children to the army, the officers took some anyway, and that they should be returned. The villagers’ claim that it was in tremendous need of future shepherds was taken seriously by the state, and a decree commanded the return of the children.{{Cite journal |last=Yılmaz |first=Gülay |date=2015-12-01 |title=The Devshirme System and the Levied Children of Bursa in 1603-4 |url=https://belleten.gov.tr/doi/10.37879/belleten.2015.901 |journal=Belleten |language=tr |volume=79 |issue=286 |pages=901–930 |doi=10.37879/belleten.2015.901 |issn=0041-4255}} Bursa was also notable for its numerous hammams (bath) built during the reign of Suleiman such as the Yeni Kaplıca. From 1867 until 1922, Bursa was the capital of Hüdavendigâr vilayet. As it was a significant cultural and trade hub, traders, most of whom were Armenians, became very wealthy.{{Cite web|url=http://ieg-ego.eu/en/threads/european-networks/economic-networks/tamara-ganjalyan-armenian-trade-networks|title=Armenian trade networks}} The most influential study of Bursa's silk trade and economic history is the work of Ottomanist Halil İnalcık.{{cite book |last=Lowry |first=Heath W. |title=Ottoman Bursa in Travel Accounts |date=2003 |publisher=Indiana University |page=1}}

In July 1915, thousands of Greek Orthodox Christians sought refuge in Bursa after having been forced out of their coastal villages by orders of the Young Turk government. This worsened the situation of the native Greeks of Bursa, who had managed to survive through the attacks and boycotts of 1914. A short time later, deportation orders came for Bursa's Armenians. Protestant Armenians were initially spared from deportation, but villagers that tried to resist were massacred. Most of the deportees would perish in what became known as the Armenian genocide. Subsequently, large numbers of Kurds and Circassians, as well as Syrians from the south, were settled in the homes and towns of the deported Christians, radically altering the demographic composition of the town and region.{{cite book | author = Ryan Gingeras | date = 2016 | title = Fall of the Sultanate: The Great War and the End of the Ottoman Empire, 1908-1922 | publisher = Oxford University Press | pages = 171– | isbn = 978-0-19-967607-1 | oclc = 1026510365 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=AYiMCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA171}} According to Mustafa Zahit Oner, in the last days of the Greco-Turkish War in 1922, the Greek Army attempted to burn the center of Bursa however they were stopped by the allied commanders and were only able to burn the train station together with Turkish civilians in it.{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1236894121 |title=Anadolu'da Yunan Zulüm ve Vahşeti |publisher=DBY Yayınları |others=Mustafa Zahit Öner |year=2021 |isbn=978-625-7760-27-0 |edition= |location=İstanbul, Türkiye |pages=265–267 |language=tr |oclc=1236894121}} The Cretan artilleryman Vasilios Moustakis describes the event with the following words: "The Infantry had come through and set fire to the station. We saw an English general on horseback, who ordered the fire to be put out because if Bursa were burned, it would be harming Greece".{{Cite book |last=Μουστάκης |first=Βασίλειος Δ. |title=Λόγια του κανονιέρη. 1079 μέρες συνοδοιπόροι με το θάνατο! |year=2000 |location=New York, USA |pages=64 |language=el |quote=Στον σταθμό, είχαν περάσει τα Πεζικά και είχαν βάλει φωτιά. Είδαμε έναν έφιππο, Άγγλο στρατηγό, που διέταξε να σβήσουν τη φωτιά, γιατί αν καιγόταν η Προύσα, θα ήταν εις βάρος της Ελλάδος}}

File:Bursa018.jpg in Bursa]]

Following the foundation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, Bursa became one of the industrial centres of the country. The economic development of the city was followed by population growth, and Bursa became the 4th most populous city in Turkey.

The city has traditionally been a pole of attraction, and was a major centre for refugees from various ethnic backgrounds who immigrated to Anatolia from the Balkans during the loss of the Ottoman territories in Europe between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The most recent arrival of Balkan Turks took place between the 1940s and 1990s, when the People's Republic of Bulgaria expelled approximately 150,000 Bulgarian Turks to Turkey.Eminov, Ali, Turks and Other Muslim Minorities in Bulgaria, New York, Routledge, 1997, Höpken, W., "Modernisierung und Nationalismus: Sozialgeschichtliche Aspekte der bulgarischen Minderheitenpolitik gegenüber den Türken" in: SOE 7-8 (1986), Schönfeld, R., ed, Nationalitätenprobleme in Südosteuropa, Munich, Oldenbourg, 1997, p. 255-303, Erdinç, Didar, "Bulgaristan'daki Değişim Sürecinde Türk Azınlığın Ekonomik Durumu", Türkler, Ankara, 2002, s.394–400. About one-third of these 150,000 Bulgarian Turkish refugees eventually settled in Bursa (especially in the Hürriyet neighbourhood). With the construction of new industrial zones in the period between 1980 and 2000, many people from the eastern provinces of Turkey came and settled in Bursa.

{{Annotated image|image=Koppen-Geiger_Map_TUR_present_with_provinces.svg|image-width=4000 |image-left=-560 |image-top=-730 |width=300|height=200 |float=right|annotations=|caption=Köppen map of Bursa Province and surrounding regions:"Present and future Köppen-Geiger climate classification maps at 1-km resolution". Nature Scientific Data. DOI:[https://www.nature.com/articles/sdata2018214 10.1038/sdata.2018.214].

{{legend-col

|thumb size=wide

|{{legend|#FFDB63|BSk}}

|{{legend|#FFFF00|Csa}}

|{{legend|#C6C700|Csb}}

|{{legend|#C6FF4E|Cfa}}

|{{legend|#C600C7|Dsb}}

|{{legend|#963295|Dsc}}

}}}}

The area covered by Bursa corresponds to 1.41% of Turkey's land area, which makes the city 27th in the country in terms of land area.{{Cite web |last=GLHN |date=2022-07-23 |title=Bursa - Coğrafya |url=https://gulhansozluk.com/bursa/ |access-date=2023-01-30 |website=Gülhan Sözlük |language=tr |archive-date=2023-01-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130084002/https://gulhansozluk.com/bursa/ |url-status=dead }} Bursa stands on the northwestern slopes of Mount Uludağ (known as the Mysian Olympus in classical antiquity), on the banks of the Nilüfer River, in the southern Marmara Region. It is the capital city of Bursa Province, which borders the Sea of Marmara and Yalova to the north; Kocaeli and Sakarya to the northeast; Bilecik to the east; and Kütahya and Balıkesir to the south.

Bursa has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa) under the Köppen classification, and a dry-hot summer subtropical climate (Csa) under the Trewartha classification. The city has hot, dry summers that last from June until September. Winters are cool and damp, also containing the most rainfall. There can be snow on the ground which will last for a week or two. Air pollution is a chronic problem in Bursa.{{Cite report|date=August 2020|title=Kara Rapor 2020: Hava Kirliliği ve Sağlık Etkileri|trans-title=Black Report 2020: Air Pollution and Health Effects|url=https://www.temizhavahakki.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Kara-Rapor-2020-Son27082020.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.temizhavahakki.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Kara-Rapor-2020-Son27082020.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|publisher=Right to Clean Air Platform Turkey|language=tr}}

{{Weather box

|location = Bursa (1991–2020, extremes 1928–2023)

|metric first = Yes

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high C = 25.2

|Feb record high C = 26.9

|Mar record high C = 32.5

|Apr record high C = 36.2

|May record high C = 37.0

|Jun record high C = 41.3

|Jul record high C = 43.8

|Aug record high C = 42.6

|Sep record high C = 40.3

|Oct record high C = 37.3

|Nov record high C = 32.1

|Dec record high C = 27.3

|year record high C = 43.8

|Jan high C = 9.8

|Feb high C = 11.4

|Mar high C = 14.6

|Apr high C = 19.2

|May high C = 24.4

|Jun high C = 28.9

|Jul high C = 31.5

|Aug high C = 31.7

|Sep high C = 27.6

|Oct high C = 22.2

|Nov high C = 16.6

|Dec high C = 11.5

|year high C = 20.8

|Jan mean C = 5.4

|Feb mean C = 6.5

|Mar mean C = 9.0

|Apr mean C = 13.0

|May mean C = 18.1

|Jun mean C = 22.6

|Jul mean C = 25.1

|Aug mean C = 25.2

|Sep mean C = 20.8

|Oct mean C = 15.9

|Nov mean C = 10.7

|Dec mean C = 7.0

|year mean C = 14.9

|Jan low C = 1.7

|Feb low C = 2.4

|Mar low C = 4.1

|Apr low C = 7.4

|May low C = 12.0

|Jun low C = 16.2

|Jul low C = 18.4

|Aug low C = 18.7

|Sep low C = 14.8

|Oct low C = 10.8

|Nov low C = 6.0

|Dec low C = 3.3

|year low C = 9.6

|Jan record low C = -20.5

|Feb record low C = -19.6

|Mar record low C = -10.5

|Apr record low C = -4.2

|May record low C = 0.8

|Jun record low C = 4.0

|Jul record low C = 8.3

|Aug record low C = 7.6

|Sep record low C = 3.3

|Oct record low C = -1.0

|Nov record low C = -8.4

|Dec record low C = -17.9

|year record low C = -20.5

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 79.2

|Feb precipitation mm = 78.2

|Mar precipitation mm = 74.9

|Apr precipitation mm = 68.6

|May precipitation mm = 47.9

|Jun precipitation mm = 42.8

|Jul precipitation mm = 14.3

|Aug precipitation mm = 17.5

|Sep precipitation mm = 50.1

|Oct precipitation mm = 84.4

|Nov precipitation mm = 67.3

|Dec precipitation mm = 93.9

|year precipitation mm = 719.1

|Jan precipitation days = 14.87

|Feb precipitation days = 13.60

|Mar precipitation days = 13.40

|Apr precipitation days = 11.43

|May precipitation days = 9.63

|Jun precipitation days = 7.30

|Jul precipitation days = 3.33

|Aug precipitation days = 3.60

|Sep precipitation days = 6.77

|Oct precipitation days = 10.67

|Nov precipitation days = 10.93

|Dec precipitation days = 14.53

|year precipitation days = 119.8

| Jan snow days =5.08

| Feb snow days =3.71

| Mar snow days =1.46

| Apr snow days =0.08

| May snow days =0

| Jun snow days =0

| Jul snow days =0

| Aug snow days =0

| Sep snow days =0

| Oct snow days =0.04

| Nov snow days =0.42

| Dec snow days =2.42

| year snow days =

|Jan humidity = 75.3

|Feb humidity = 72.8

|Mar humidity = 70.7

|Apr humidity = 69.3

|May humidity = 67.1

|Jun humidity = 63.1

|Jul humidity = 59.6

|Aug humidity = 61.7

|Sep humidity = 67.3

|Oct humidity = 74.6

|Nov humidity = 75.5

|Dec humidity = 75.7

|year humidity =

|Jan sun = 83.7

|Feb sun = 90.4

|Mar sun = 124.0

|Apr sun = 165.0

|May sun = 217.0

|Jun sun = 264.0

|Jul sun = 300.7

|Aug sun = 275.9

|Sep sun = 217.0

|Oct sun = 145.7

|Nov sun = 111.0

|Dec sun = 77.5

|year sun =

|Jand sun = 2.7

|Febd sun = 3.2

|Mard sun = 4.0

|Aprd sun = 5.5

|Mayd sun = 7.0

|Jund sun = 8.8

|Juld sun = 9.7

|Augd sun = 8.9

|Sepd sun = 7.0

|Octd sun = 4.7

|Novd sun = 3.7

|Decd sun = 2.5

|yeard sun = 5.6

|source 1 = Turkish State Meteorological Service{{cite web

| url = https://www.mgm.gov.tr/veridegerlendirme/il-ve-ilceler-istatistik.aspx?k=H&m=BURSA

| title = Resmi İstatistikler: İllerimize Ait Mevism Normalleri (1991–2020)

| publisher = Turkish State Meteorological Service

| language = tr

| access-date = 24 April 2021}}{{cite web | url = https://www.mgm.gov.tr/veridegerlendirme/il-ve-ilceler-istatistik.aspx?k=A&m=BURSA | title = İllerimize Ait Genel İstatistik Verileri | publisher = Turkish State Meteorological Service

| language = tr | access-date = 11 April 2024}}

|source 2 = NOAA (humidity),{{cite web

| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Turkiye/CSV/Bursa_17116.csv

| title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020: Bursa

| publisher = National centers for Environmental Information |format=CSV

| access-date = 2 August 2023}} Meteomanz{{Cite web |url=http://www.meteomanz.com/sy3?l=1&cou=6290&ind=17116&m1=01&y1=2000&m2=07&y2=2024 |title=Bursa - weather data by months |access-date=19 July 2024 |website=meteomanz}}

}}

File:Bursa_image.jpg

Bursa is the largest production centre of the Turkish automotive industry.{{cite web|url=http://turkey.automotivemeetings.com/index.php/automotive-industry|title=Turkey: A centre of excellence in automotive industry|publisher=Automotive Meetings Turkey|access-date=3 October 2020}} Factories of motor vehicle producers like Fiat, Renault and Karsan, as well as automotive parts producers like Bosch, Mako, Valeo, Johnson Controls, Delphi have been active in the city for decades. The textile and food industries are equally strong, with Coca-Cola, Pepsi Cola and other beverage brands, as well as fresh and canned food industries being present in the city's organized industrial zones.

Apart from its large automotive industry, Bursa also produces a substantial amount of dairy products (by Sütaş),{{cite web|url=http://www.sutas.com.tr/|title=Sütaş Süt Ürünleri A.Ş.|access-date=25 May 2015}} processed food (by {{lang|tr|Tat}}),{{cite web|url=http://www.tat.com.tr/|title=Tat|access-date=25 May 2015}} and beverages (by {{lang|tr|Uludağ}}).[http://www.uludagicecek.com.tr/ Uludağ Beverages]

File:Hudavendigar_Park_in_Bursa_Turkey.jpg and Hüdavendigar Park]]

Traditionally, Bursa was famous for being the largest centre of silk trade in the Byzantine and later the Ottoman empires, during the period of the lucrative Silk Road. The city is still a major centre for textiles in Turkey and is home to the Bursa International Textiles and Trade Centre ({{lang|tr|Bursa Uluslararası Tekstil ve Ticaret Merkezi}}, or {{lang|tr|BUTTIM}}). Bursa was also known for its fertile soil and agricultural activities, which have decreased in the recent decades due to the heavy industrialization of the city.

Bursa is a major centre for tourism. One of the most popular skiing resorts in Turkey is located on Mount Uludağ, just next to the city proper. Bursa's thermal baths have been used for therapeutical purposes since Roman times. Apart from the baths that are operated by hotels, Uludağ University has a physical therapy centre which also makes use of thermal water.

File:J33_718_Straßenbahngelenkwagen_Silkworm.jpg

Bursa has a metro (Bursaray), trams{{cite web|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/bursa-circular-tramway-opens.html|title=Bursa circular tramway opens|author=DVV Media UK|work=Railway Gazette|access-date=25 May 2015|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924141513/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/bursa-circular-tramway-opens.html|url-status=dead}} and a bus system for inner-city public transport, while taxi cabs are also available. Bursa's Yenişehir Airport is {{convert|20|mi|0|abbr=on}} away from the city centre. The citizens of Bursa also prefer Istanbul's airports such as Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen International Airport for flights to foreign countries, due to Istanbul's proximity to Bursa. There are numerous daily bus and ferry services between the two cities.

File:Teleferik,_Uludağ.jpg gondola lift]]

The {{convert|8.8|km|mi|abbr=on}} long Bursa Uludağ Gondola ({{langx|tr|Teleferik}}) connects Bursa with the ski resort areas {{convert|1870|m|ft|abbr=on}} high on the mountain Uludağ.{{cite web|url=https://www.leitner-ropeways.com/en/company/references/gd8-bursa-i-ii-iii-716/|title=GD8 Bursa I + II + III - References - Company - LEITNER ropeways|website=www.leitner-ropeways.com|access-date=2016-09-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012141257/https://www.leitner-ropeways.com/en/company/references/gd8-bursa-i-ii-iii-716/|archive-date=2016-10-12|url-status=dead}}

The only railway station in Bursa is the Harmancık station on the Balıkesir-Kütahya railway, which was opened in 1930.

The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Bursa, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 62 min. 12% of public transit riders ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 18 min, while 31% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip on public transit is {{convert|8.1|km|abbr=on}}, while 17% travel for over {{convert|12|km|abbr=on}} in a single direction.{{cite web|title=Bursa Public Transportation Statistics|publisher= Global Public Transit Index by Moovit|url=https://moovitapp.com/insights/en/Moovit_Insights_Public_Transit_Index_Turkey_Bursa-3663|access-date=June 19, 2017}} 50px Material was copied from this source, which is available under a [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence].

File:BursaTeknikÜniversitesi_MimarSinanYerleşkesi.jpg

Bursa has two public universities and one private university. Uludağ University, founded in 1975, is the oldest institution of higher education in the city. Founded first as the Bursa University then renamed Uludağ University in 1982,{{cite web|url=https://www.uludag.edu.tr/konu/view/15|title=Uludağ Üniversitesi Hakkında|website=Uludağ Üniversitesi Resmi Websitesi}} the university has a student body of 47,000, one of the largest in Turkey. Bursa Technical University{{cite web|url=http://www.btu.edu.tr/ |title=Bursa Teknik Üniversitesi |publisher=Btu.edu.tr |access-date=2013-03-26}} is the second public university of Bursa and was established in 2010, beginning education in the 2011–2012 academic year.

The first private university in Bursa was the Bursa Orhangazi University,{{cite web|url=http://www.bou.edu.tr/ |title=Bursa Orhangazi Üniversitesi |publisher=Bou.edu.tr |access-date=2013-03-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130318072854/http://www.bou.edu.tr/ |archive-date=2013-03-18 }} which started education in the 2012–2013 academic year. However, Orhangazi University was shut down by the Turkish government after the failed coup attempt of July 2016.

Istanbul Commerce University has opened graduate programs in Bursa in 2013.{{cite web

|url=http://www.iticu.edu.tr/tr/duyuru/detay/Kategori/id/0/id/172

|title=Istanbul Commerce University at Bursa

|language=tr

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120827100932/http://iticu.edu.tr/tr/duyuru/detay/Kategori/id/0/id/172

|archive-date=2012-08-27

}}

The vocational high schools, Bursa Sports High School, and Bursa Agriculture Vocational High School, are located in Osmangazi district.

File:Bursa Büyükşehir Belediye Stadium 20181026 (2).jpg is the home of Bursaspor, which won the Süper Lig (Super League) championship title at the end of the 2009–10 season.]]

The city has one professional football club, Bursaspor, which formerly competed in the Süper Lig (Super League), the top-tier of Turkish football, until finishing 16th at the end of the 2018–19 Süper Lig season and being relegated to the TFF First League. A few years earlier, Bursaspor had managed to become the Turkish champions at the end of the 2009–10 Süper Lig season, thereby becoming the second Anatolian club to ever win the Süper Lig championship title after Trabzonspor. Henceforth, Bursaspor was often considered to be one of the five biggest football clubs in Turkey, along with Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş and Trabzonspor. The club's relegation to the TFF First League at the end of the 2018–19 season was a major shock for its fans and became a first in the history of Turkish football. Never had a club which had won the Süper Lig championship title been relegated.

Bursaspor plays its home games at the Timsah Arena (meaning "Crocodile Arena", crocodile being the mascot of the team), which has a seating capacity of 45,000.

The city has three professional basketball teams in the Turkish Basketball League, Bursaspor and Tofaş S.K., which is among the most successful teams. The club plays its games at the Tofaş Nilüfer Sports Hall. Also, Final Spor plays in the second division.

{{Infobox political party

|country =

|name = Bursa district Municipalities
{{small|Local elections, 2024}}

|native_name =

|colorcode = #000099

|seats1_title = AKP

|seats1 = {{Composition bar|9|17|hex=#fdc400}}

|seats2_title = CHP

|seats2 = {{Composition bar|6|17|hex=#cc0000}}

|seats3_title = IYIP

|seats3 = {{Composition bar|2|17|hex=#0000e4}}

}}

The current mayor of the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mustafa Bozbey is elected from the main opposition party (CHP) in March 2024.

Alinur Aktaş from the Justice and Development Party (AKP) was in office between 2019 and 2024, the AKP coalition won 49.6% of the vote against the CHP coalition which got 47% of the vote.{{Cite web|title=Bursa Seçim Sonuçları - 31 Mart Bursa Yerel Seçim Sonuçları|url=https://www.haberler.com/secim/2019/yerel-secimler/bursa-secim-sonuclari/|access-date=2021-08-15|website=www.haberler.com|language=tr-TR}}

File:Ulucami-bursa - panoramio.jpg and Orhan Gazi Square in Bursa]]

Ulu Cami is the largest mosque in Bursa and a landmark of early Ottoman architecture, which incorporated many elements from Seljuk architecture.

Ordered by Sultan Bayezid I, the mosque was designed and built by architect Ali Neccar in 1396–1400. It is a large and rectangular building, with a total of twenty domes that are arranged in four rows of five, and are supported by 12 columns. Supposedly the twenty domes were built instead of the twenty separate mosques which Sultan Bayezid I had promised for winning the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396. The mosque has two minarets.

File:Bursa_Atatürk_Müzesi.JPG]]

Inside the mosque, there are 192 monumental wall inscriptions written by the famous calligraphers of that period. There is also a fountain (şadırvan) where worshipers can perform ritual ablutions before prayer; the dome over the şadırvan is capped by a skylight which creates a soft, serene light below; thus playing an important role in the illumination of the large building.

File:Bursa_Yeşil_Camii_-_Green_Mosque_(25).jpg]]

The horizontally spacious and dimly lit interior is designed to feel peaceful and contemplative. The subdivisions of space formed by multiple domes and pillars create a sense of privacy and even intimacy. This atmosphere contrasts with the later Ottoman mosques (see for example the works of Suleiman the Magnificent's chief architect, Mimar Sinan.) The mosques that were built after the conquest of Constantinople (Istanbul) by the Ottoman Turks in 1453, and influenced by the design of the 6th century Byzantine basilica of Hagia Sophia, had increasingly elevated and large central domes, which create a vertical emphasis that is intended to be more overwhelming; to convey the divine power of Allah, the majesty of the Ottoman Sultan, and the governmental authority of the Ottoman State.

File:Botanik_park_-Bursa_.09_march_09_-_panoramio.jpg

File:Cumalıkızık-01.jpg, near Bursa, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Ottoman era historic houses.]]

• Bursa Grand Mosque and {{lang|tr|külliye}}
• Yeşil Mosque and {{lang|tr|külliye}}
• Bayezid I Mosque and {{lang|tr|külliye}}
• Muradiye Mosque and {{lang|tr|külliye}}
• Emir Sultan Mosque and {{lang|tr|külliye}}
• Orhan Gazi Mosque and {{lang|tr|külliye}}
• Hüdavendigar Mosque and {{lang|tr|külliye}}
• Koca Sinan Paşa Mosque and {{lang|tr|külliye}}
• İshak Paşa Mosque and {{lang|tr|külliye}}
• Karacabey Grand Mosque
• Karabaş-i Veli Cultural Centre
• Somuncu Baba Mosque
• Üftade Tekkesi Mosque and complex
• Babasultan Mosque and complex

• Yıldırım Bazaar (bedesten)
• Koza Han
• Pirinç Han
• İpek Han

• Bursa Castle
• Irgandı Bridge
• İnkaya Sycamore, a massive and impressive 600-year-old tree (Platanus orientalis)

• Bursa Archaeological Museum
• Bursa Atatürk Museum,{{Cite web|url=http://www.kultur.gov.tr/EN-103965/bursa---ataturk-museum.html|title = Bursa - Atatürk Museum}}
• Bursa City Museum,{{Cite web|url=http://ndr.com.tr/en/museum/detail/bursa-city-museum|title=Bursa City Museum|access-date=2019-04-11|archive-date=2019-10-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020001211/http://ndr.com.tr/en/museum/detail/bursa-city-museum|url-status=dead}}
• Bursa Energy Museum
• Bursa Forestry Museum
• Bursa Karagöz Museum
• Bursa Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art
• Bursa Turkish Architecture Museum
• İznik Museum
• Mudanya Armistice House
• Museum of Ottoman House
• Tofaş Museum of Cars and Anatolian Carriages

• Uludağ National Park
• Bursa Zoo and Botanical Garden
• Bursa Hüdavendigar Kent Park

• Keramet hot spring
• Çekirge hot spring
• Armutlu hot spring
• Oylat hot spring
• Gemlik hot spring
• Çelik Palas thermal bath

Bursa, initially home to a small Romaniote Jewish community, underwent a demographic shift with the arrival of Sephardic Jews who were expelled from the Iberian Peninsula in the late 15th century. The Sephardic majority quickly absorbed the Romaniotes, leading to a cultural and numerical dominance. Judaeo-Spanish became the daily language, and the community paid its poll tax through the representative, the kahya.{{Cite book |last=Bornstein-Makovetsky |first=Leah |url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopedia-of-jews-in-the-islamic-world/*-SIM_0007390 |title=Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World |publisher=Brill Reference Online |editor-last=Stillman |editor-first=Norman A. |chapter=Bursa}}

Throughout the Ottoman period, most Jews resided in Kuruçeşme, Bursa's Jewish quarter, home to three synagogues. Etz Chaim (Eṣ Ḥayyim), the oldest, predated Ottoman conquest, while the Gerush and Mayor synagogues were established by Sephardic newcomers. Despite the 1851 fire destroying Etz Chaim, the other two remain, along with the Berut synagogue. Bursa also had a Jewish cemetery until recently.

Though never a major center, Bursa's Jewish population fluctuated. Dubious data suggests 683 families in 1571/72, dropping to 141 by 1696/97. By 1883, there were 2,179 Jews, with an influx of 400 from Akkerman in 1887. Pre-World War I, the population reached 3,500, but emigration reduced it to 140 by the early 21st century.

Engaged in the local economy, Bursa's Jews were shop owners and involved in guilds. In the 16th and 17th centuries, they excelled in textile manufacturing, silk trade, goldsmithing, and finance. Despite economic struggles in the 18th and 19th centuries, a 1886 report highlighted poverty.

Bursa faced blood libels in 1592 and 1865. Despite its size, the community produced renowned halakhic scholars across centuries. Modern schooling arrived in 1886 with Alliance Israélite Universelle, but it closed in 1923 during the secularization program. Jewish children then attended Turkish schools for a modern education.

File:Bursa Turkey 2013 1.jpg|Bursa Citadel Main Gate

File:Bursa Orhan Gazi Mosque.jpg|Orhan Gazi Mosque

File:EMİRSULTAN_CAMİİ_BURSA_-_panoramio_(2).jpg|Emir Sultan Mosque

File:Bursa Koza Han (Silk Bazaar) 2.jpg|Koza Han (Silk Bazaar) in Bursa

File:Bursa001.jpg|Entrance of the Yeşil Cami (Green Mosque)

File:Muradiye Complex, exterior.jpg|Muradiye Mosque and Külliye in Bursa

File:Bursa, Governorate.jpg|Governorate of Bursa

File:Uludag range.JPG|Mt. Uludağ is a popular ski destination.

File:Bursa 7059.jpg|Statue of Atatürk in Bursa

File:Şehreküstü Mosque, Bursa.jpg|Şehreküstü Mosque

File:Yeşil Cami Bursa.jpg|Interior of Yeşil Mosque

File:Französische Kirche in Bursa.jpg|Bursa French Catholic Church

File:Bursa Kalesi 1.jpg|Saltanatkapı (Citadel Main Gate)

File:Bursa Büyükşehir Belediyesi.jpg|Old City Hall

File:Clock Tower, Bursa.jpg|Tophane Clocktower

File:Türbe of Osman I, Bursa.jpg|Tomb of Osman Gazi

File:Türbe of Orhan Gazi, Bursa.jpg|Tomb of Orhan Gazi

File:Innenansicht Große Moschee in Bursa PIC 2004-08-24 19-22 0227.JPG|Interior of the Grand Mosque

File:Bursapnc1.JPG|Koza Han (Silk Bazaar)

File:Irgandı_köprüsü_bursa_-_panoramio.jpg|Irgandı Bridge

File:View of the city, Bursa, Turkey LOC 4211210430.jpg|A view of Bursa in the late 19th century

File:Bursa, Turkey, ca. 1895.jpg|Bursa, {{Circa|1895}}

File:Atatürk 1924'te Bursa halkına hitap ediyor.jpg|Atatürk delivering a speech in Bursa, 1924

File:View of Bursa from the hills of Mount Uludag.jpg|A view of Bursa from the foothills of Mt. Uludağ

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Turkey}}

Bursa is twinned with:{{cite web |title=Kardeş Şehirler|url=https://www.bursa.bel.tr/sayfa/kardes-sehirler-261|website=bursa.bel.tr|publisher=Bursa|language=tr|access-date=2022-01-06}}

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

• {{flagicon|GER}} Darmstadt, Germany (1971)
• {{flagicon|BIH}} Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (1972)
• {{flagicon|FIN}} Oulu, Finland (1978)
• {{flagicon|TUN}} Kairouan, Tunisia (1987)
• {{flagicon|CHN}} Anshan, China (1991)
• {{flagicon|MKD}} Bitola, North Macedonia (1996)
• {{flagicon|MDA}} Ceadîr-Lunga, Moldova (1997)
• {{flagicon|KAZ}} Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan (1997)
• {{flagicon|ALG}} Mascara, Algeria (1998)
• {{flagicon|GER}} Kulmbach, Germany (1998)
• {{flagicon|BUL}} Pleven, Bulgaria (1998)
• {{flagicon|BUL}} Plovdiv, Bulgaria (1998)
• {{flagicon|ALB}} Tirana, Albania (1998)
• {{flagicon|SVK}} Košice, Slovakia (2000)
• {{flagicon|UKR}} Vinnytsia, Ukraine (2004)
• {{flagicon|HUN}} Szentendre, Hungary (2005)
• {{flagicon|KOS}} Pristina, Kosovo (2010)
• {{flagicon|UKR}} Bakhchysarai, Ukraine (2010)
• {{flagicon|BUL}} Momchilgrad, Bulgaria (2010)
• {{flagicon|BLR}} Mogilev, Belarus (2013)
• {{flagicon|PSE}} Hebron, Palestine (2014)
• {{flagicon|ISR}} Herzliya, Israel (2014)
• {{flagicon|BUL}} Veliko Tărnovo, Bulgaria (2017)
• {{flagicon|SOM}} Galkayo, Somalia (2018)

{{div col end}}

{{portal|Turkey}}

• 1855 Bursa earthquake
• Complex of Mehmed I
• Emirsultan Mosque
• Grand Mosque of Bursa
• Green Tomb and Mosque
• List of people from Bursa
• List of World Heritage Sites in Turkey
• Siege of Bursa

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite news

|url=https://www.bursadabugun.com/haber/bursa-celal-sonmez-spor-lisesi-gelecegin-sampiyonlarini-ariyor-1301227.html

|newspaper=Bursada Bugün

|title=Bursa Celal Sönmez Spor Lisesi, geleceğin şampiyonlarını arıyor

|date=14 June 2020

|language=tr

|accessdate=20 June 2021

}}

{{cite web

|url=https://www.kulturportali.gov.tr/turkiye/bursa/kulturenvanteri/tarim-meslek-lisesi

|publisher=Türkiye Kültür Portalı

|title=Kültür Envanteri Anıt - Tarım Meslek Lisesi - Bursa

|date=13 May 2013

|language=tr

|accessdate=4 February 2023

}}

}}

{{See also|Timeline of Bursa#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Bursa}}

{{Commons category|Bursa}}

{{wikivoyage|Bursa}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20160119073649/http://en.bursa.bel.tr/ Bursa Metropolitan Municipality]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120227232200/http://english.bursa.gov.tr/ Bursa Governorship]

{{Largest cities in Turkey}}

{{Districts of Turkey|provname=Bursa|image=Bursa|sortkey=Bursa}}

{{World Heritage Sites in Turkey}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Turkey

Category:Greek colonies in Anatolia

Category:Bithynian colonies

Category:Cities in Turkey

Category:Populated places along the Silk Road

Category:Populated places in Bursa Province

Category:Former Armenian communities in Turkey

Category:Capitals of the Ottoman Empire