ITS STORY
The Grand Mosque is the first large mosque the Ottomans built in Bursa; commissioned by Yıldırım Bayezid, it opened in 1399 after three years of building. It is the largest and best-known example of the multi-domed grand mosque type, with many domes of the same size; Evliya Çelebi called it the Hagia Sophia of Bursa. After major repairs following the 1855 earthquake, it reopened for worship in 1862.
History
It was the first large mosque built by the Ottomans in Bursa and remained the largest for six centuries. Evliya Çelebi described the Ulucami as the “Hagia Sophia of Bursa” in his work Seyahatnâme. The mosque, which took three years to build, was opened on a Friday in 1399.
Architecture
Bursa Ulucami is a rectangular-plan building measuring approximately 55 × 69 m The mosque, which attracts attention with its twenty domes and 3500 m² prayer area, looks like a museum of calligraphy thanks to the calligraphy inscriptions on its walls and piers, each of which is a work of art.
Source: Bursa Vakıf Eserleri — Cilt 1, p. 37
Location and map
The Ulucami is located in Osmangazi District, Sehreküstü Neighborhood, on Street and Cami Street.
Details
- Type
- Mosque
- District
- Osmangazi
- Inventory section
- 14