Bursa was the first major capital of the Ottoman Empire, and that origin story still defines the city. The Green Mosque and Green Tomb, with their exquisite Iznik tilework, are among the finest early Ottoman monuments anywhere. The covered market district, the Koza Han (Silk Bazaar), and the Grand Mosque with its twenty domes are all within walking distance of each other in the old city center.
Sprawling at the foot of Uludag (the ancient Mount Olympus of Mysia), Bursa is Turkey's fourth-largest city and a major industrial center. It doesn't have the tourist infrastructure of Istanbul or the coastal resorts, which means you'll often have the mosques and tombs to yourself. The city is famous for the Iskender kebab — layers of doner meat over bread, drenched in tomato sauce and melted butter — which was invented here.
Uludag, rising to 2,543 metres directly behind the city, is Turkey's most popular ski resort in winter and a good hiking destination in summer. The Bursa cable car runs from the city up to the mountain in about 20 minutes. The historic neighbourhood of Tophane holds the tombs of the dynasty's founders, and the Muradiye Complex contains twelve Ottoman royal tombs in a garden setting that feels removed from the city's commercial energy.