Editing Bursa (section)

===Ulu Cami (Grand Mosque)===
[[File:Ulucami-bursa - panoramio.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The [[Grand Mosque of Bursa|Grand Mosque]] and Orhan Gazi Square in Bursa]]

[[Bursa Grand Mosque|Ulu Cami]] is the largest mosque in Bursa and a landmark of early [[Ottoman architecture]], which incorporated many elements from [[Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate|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 [[minaret]]s.

[[File:Bursa_Atatürk_Müzesi.JPG|thumb|[[Bursa Atatürk Museum]]]]

Inside the mosque, there are 192 monumental wall inscriptions written by the famous [[Islamic calligraphy|calligraphers]] of that period. There is also a fountain ([[şadırvan]]) where worshipers can perform [[Wudu|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|thumb|[[Yeşil Mosque]]]]

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 [[fall of Constantinople|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|thumb|Botanical Park of Bursa]]
[[File:Cumalıkızık-01.jpg|thumb|The village of [[Cumalıkızık]], near Bursa, is a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO]] World Heritage Site with [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] era historic houses.]]