Bursa is a city in northwestern Turkey and the seat of Bursa Province. With a population of 2,562,828 (2007), it is Turkey's fourth largest city, as well as one of the most industrialized and culturally charged metropolitan centers in the country.
Bursa is settled on the north-west slopes of the Mount Uludağ in the South of Marmara Region. It is bordered by The Marmara Sea and Yalova on the north, Kocaeli and Sakarya on the north-east, Bilecik on the east and Kütahya and Balıkesir on the south.
The city is frequently cited as "YeÅŸil Bursa" (meaning "Green Bursa") in a reference to the parks and gardens located across its urban tissue, as well as to the vast forests in rich variety that extend in its surrounding region. The city is synonymous with the mountain UludaÄŸ which towers behind the city core and which is also a famous ski resort. The mausoleums of early Ottoman sultans are located in Bursa and the numerous edifices built throughout the Ottoman period constitute the city's main landmarks. The surrounding fertile plain, its thermal baths, several interesting museums, notably a rich museum of archaeology, and a rather orderly urban growth are further principal elements that complete Bursa's overall picture.
Karagöz and Hacivat shadow play characters were historic personalities who lived and are buried in Bursa. Bursa is also home to some of the most famous Turkish dishes, especially candied chestnuts and İskender kebap. Its peaches are also well-renowned. Among its depending district centers, İznik, historic Nicaea, is especially notable for its long history and important edifices. Bursa is home to Uludağ University, and its population attains one of the highest overall levels of education in Turkey. It has traditionally been a pole of attraction and of refuge for immigration into Turkey from the Balkans, in sizable waves at times until quite recently. |
