by Dennis | January 19, 2015 | Bursa's Neat Places, Eat, Shop, and Stay, Osmangazi
I had been hearing for some time from friends about this interesting place next to the Demirtaşpaşa metro station in downtown Bursa that serves an excellent, uniquely blended Osmanlı çayı, or Ottoman-style tea. I just had to try it, they told me. They assured me that...
by Dennis | January 16, 2015 | Featured Fotoğrafı, Winter
Friday’s Fotoğrafı, 16 January: Pineapples are sold from a pushcart on a snowy, blustery day in Bursa’s downtown bazaar. As the first big snowstorm of the year hit Bursa, the central bazaar continued to bustle as neither sellers nor shoppers seemed phased by the...
by Dennis | January 15, 2015 | Thoughts and Musings
A little while ago, Terry at Adventures in Ankara graciously invited me to write a guest post on the merits of visiting Bursa. Earlier this week, Adventures in Ankara published this post and I’d like to share it with you here on The Best of Bursa. Bursa: The...
by Dennis | January 12, 2015 | Bursa's Delightful People, Eat, Shop, and Stay, Yildirim
“Gel, gel, gel,” Sadet said to my wife, Amy, with an inviting hand motion. “Gel” is the command form of the verb “to come,” and in Turkish culture it’s wise to obey such a command given by an elder. Amy, not sure what she was...
by Dennis | January 9, 2015 | Featured Fotoğrafı, Osmangazi
Featured Fotoğrafı for January 9: The twin domes of Eski Kaplıca Hamamı (Old Hot Spring Bathhouse) rise above the valley in Bursa’s Çekirge neighborhood. Çekirge is famous for its therapeutic hot spring water. The local Horhor Spring feeds mineral-rich, 90ºC water...
by Dennis | January 6, 2015 | Bursa's Neat Places, See, Do, and Play, Winter, Yildirim
It was a rainy 7 degrees centigrade when my buddy, Mehmet, called me out of the blue and asked me if I’d like to go with him on a Saturday afternoon drive up Uludağ Road to the mountaintop. “Um, okay,” I said with a slight bit of trepidation, wondering in the back of...
by Dennis | January 2, 2015 | Featured Fotoğrafı, Winter
In the first Featured Fotoğrafı of 2015, the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Orchestra sings (and plays and dances) in the New Year during their Yeni Yıla Merhaba (Hello to the New Year) Concert on December 30 in Osmangazi Hall at Merinos Atatürk Center. The lively,...
by Dennis | December 30, 2014 | Culture and History
As 2014 comes to a close, we can confidently say that it’s been a good year in Bursa. A lot of good things have happened this year that are helping to put Bursa on the map as a must-visit destination in Turkey. For example, the newly reconstructed cable car...
by Dennis | December 26, 2014 | Featured Fotoğrafı
In this week’s featured photo, members of a traditional Turkish marching troop (mehter takımı) stand in downtown Bursa with bells in hand. Called çevgan, this musical marching instrument consists of rings of bells attached to a long stick. These men are part of...
by Dennis | December 22, 2014 | Thoughts and Musings, Winter
There are times when living as a foreigner among Turkish people is really enjoyable. Like when they stop you in the street, shake your hand, and ask you to sit down for a cup of tea. Or when they bend down to greet your children with a kiss and a pinch on the...
