THE BEST OF BURSA: HIGHLIGHTING THE BEST OF BURSA, TURKEY
Snapshots from Bursa’s Snowy Streets

Snapshots from Bursa’s Snowy Streets

We’re pretty confident that winter in Bursa is coming to an end. Sure, there will be snow on the mountain for a couple of months yet. But down here in the valley the season appears to be turning. Crabapple trees are blooming, tulips are pushing their way through the...
A Çaycı in Koza Han’s Wall

A Çaycı in Koza Han’s Wall

Friday’s Fotoğrafı, 20 February: This çaycı (tea seller) is hard at work in his tea shop in the inner wall of historical Koza Han. The Koza Han courtyard is an excellent place to pass time sipping tea with friends on a sunny day under the cover of an umbrella. The...
Bursa’s Swimming Stones

Bursa’s Swimming Stones

A Friday’s Fotoğrafı: The Swimming Stones fountains on Altıparmak Caddesi continue to flow on a snowy day in Bursa. These granite columns, designed by renowned German sculptor Christian Tobin, represent Karagöz and Hacivat, Bursa’s famous shadow puppets and unofficial...
Pineapples in a Snowstorm

Pineapples in a Snowstorm

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...
Domes of the Old Bathhouse

Domes of the Old Bathhouse

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...
Singing In the New Year

Singing In the New Year

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,...
Ottoman Marching Bells

Ottoman Marching Bells

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...
Tophane Clock Tower

Tophane Clock Tower

The clock tower at Tophane proudly stands in Bursa’s old citadel near the tombs of Osman Gazi and Orhan Gazi.  First built during the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz (1861-1876), the original clock tower was destroyed.  The existing clock tower was rebuilt in 1904 and...
Çukur Han’s Hidden Entrance

Çukur Han’s Hidden Entrance

There are more than a dozen hans scattered throughout Bursa’s downtown bazaar complex.  Çukur Han is one of my favorites.  Maybe one of the reasons I like it so much is that it’s a little hard to find.  Tucked away among the bazaar’s booths and shops, the front...