Our first stop was Bursa at the south east of the Marmara sea. It is famous for its gardens, flowers and fruit trees, especially peach trees. It is a big producer of silk and cotton, their terry cloth towels are prized the world over.
We visited the Great Mosque. It was intriguing to see how they are set up for the washing of the hands and feet (faucets and small marble stools lining a wall), then to walk in barefoot and feel the soft carpet. The presence of a fountain inside the mosque gave it a peaceful feel… In the old days the muesin would climb up to the top of the minaret to call everyone to prayer. Nowadays they stay inside the mosque and use a microphone and powerful speakers set up outside. They do this five times a day. The one call we heard regularly was the first one in the morning, around 5h 20. In more populated area we could hear two and sometimes three of them at the same time…I enjoyed the sound…
A few feet away and a few steps higher is the Green Mausoleum. There are several monuments inside, one for each member of the family. The colors of the tile are typical of Istanbul: blues, greens and turquoises.
Thirdly we visited the Green Mosque. The name comes from the green tiles used to decorate the walls. It is much smaller than the Great Mosque, but it has small rooms adjoining the main one that are like jewelry boxes.
There is also a very colorful shopping street.
We stopped in Kusadasi for the night. A lovely sea side resort.
The next morning we set out to visit the house where the Virgin Mary supposedly lived until her death. There is a “pool” where, presumably, christenings were performed. I am not convinced… but the setting is pretty
Take me to Turkey Part 3 – Ephesus
1 thoughts on “Turkey – Bursa”