Towel Market

"Bursa is the towel center of Turkey..they are so many hammams here...thermal water...so they invented towel here in the 18.century!!

by the way we will go to hammam this week so we will hide the camera and try to take some photos inside :)))"

Antiques

I loved the window of this shop on a little street called Aynali Çarsi off the covered market. It is full of many old things like the Ottoman coffee pot which is in the middle at the bottom.

Leaflets

"some magazines about Bursa and it's old time photos..Bursa was founded 188 B.C. ..it's old name was Prusa..Romans,Byzantines and Greeks occupied before the Ottomans and they came to Bursa in 1326..

long long time ago!!!!"

Hamam

This is part of the Eski Kaplica (old spa baths) in Çekirge. The baths were originally built by Murat I Sultan in the late 14th Century. They have been restored and are very nice inside.

Çekirge has thermal springs and the baths here use the hot mineral water straight from the ground (my book says it comes out of the ground at around 45ºC / 113ºF).

Ayran

Ayran is a special Turkish drink made from yogurt and water. It is a bit salty and very good, especially in hot weather. Here they drink with everything at dinner&lunch...

These ones are made by a local company called Sütas.

This photo was taken in the Kipa supermarket which is open 24 hours a day - a first for Bursa. The sign says that the ayran was produced in Bursa.

Emir Han

The Emir Han is a smaller version of the Koza Han. It was built in the 14th century and has survived three fires and a large earthquake, however it was badly damaged in a fire in 1958 that lasted for three days. At one point it was used to trade spices, but now there are only a few shops left here.

Kamil Koç

"this is a bus from bursa haha.. Kamil Koç was the first bursa bus company founded in 1926..some people ask if we use camels but in fact we don't have camels here...

the buses in Turkey are super comfortable and they go everywhere because there is very little railway..one more thing;they are serving complimentary cakes and tea or coffee on board ...they pour eau de cologne on your hands and feet as well..

haha joking not feet of course we just want to suprise you...:))

Henna

"henna is an old tradition in Turkey as well as in the middle east countries&india...as you can notice in the photo we are buying from iran&india ..we are using the henna before the marriage ceremonies,the bride and her family prepare a big party just for the women(you can do it at home) where the bride wears a traditional red dress,she covers her head with a red echarpe her friends bring the bride in a chair holding so many candles and they make inside her hand henna ..while the young ones are making the henna the elder women are singing an old song...it is a very emotional song like i say always to myself " no i won't cry " but i cry at all the henna parties 

afterwards ;all night they dance,sing etc..after the midnight the groom comes with his friends to join the dance party..

also we are using the henna for the health of our hairs ... henna gives to hair life just like it gives the bride another new life ...power of the plants!!...."

Glasses Repairer

A small kiosk by the side of the Ulu Cami (great mosque) which repairs glasses.

Spice Shop

This shop sells all kinds of spices and herbal medicines.

Irgandi Bridge

"this bridge is in center of bursa called IRGANDI ...built in 15th century...it was restored recently it is the one of the forth bridge which has shops and market place inside of the world..the other s are in florance,venice and in bulgary...the photo of the cats are taken there ..."

Town Hall

The town hall is in a historical building in the centre of town and is also the home of the Local Agenda 21 programme.

Karagöz

This photo is from a traditional turkish puppet shadow play shop...you can see some caracters hanging..the famous one is called "karagöz-black eye" and his friend "hacivat"..

the puppet tradition is taken from central asia but the shadow theatre is coming from egypt..the shadow theatre involves two main figures casting their shadows on a screen..

there are so many legends about these caracters...in the otoman empire time(like in 15th century) they came to Bursa and karagoz was a gipsy and hacivat was a noble man..they both had started to work in the construction of "ulu cami" (the biggest mosque in bursa)...they were so different from each other and they were always arguing while working and misunderstanding each other..the other workers couldn't work because their conversations were so funny..and the sultan of that time killed them both because the construction of the mosque was not going well...

they were killed but their funny conversations lived..turks are growing up with their stories and shadow theatre tradition especially in Bursa..

anyway this is just one story about them there are lot more...

Siesta

They have a nice life...

Iznik Pottery

Iznik pottery is very famous and they are originally based on chinese designs..they evolved into their own distinctive style...i learned it from Sarah..really sorry guys i just went there to buy...hehehehe

Walnuts

The open air market sells only the fruit and vegetables that are in season. These walnuts are grown locally.

Bursa Kebab

The meat for the Iskender kebab is cooked on a vertical spit using charcoal. Here you can see the 'kebabci' cooking the meat.

Have you ever wondered where the name doner kebab comes from? It is from the Turkish 'dönmek' which means 'to turn'

Iskender Kebab House

Iskender is a special kind of kebab invented in Bursa in the late 19th century and this is the original restaurant. It is named after the original owner Iskender Efendi (Iskender is Turkish for Alexander)

Many people from Bursa consider this to be the best kebab restaurant!

Music House

This lovely restored building is a library of music! Inside there are all kinds of books about music, from encyclopedias to manuscripts. There is also a listening room where you can listen from their collection of CDs.

Simit Seller

"ok ok i like eating ..i had already eaten but here there is always a place for simit anytime..

the red balls are sweets ..inside there is one big apple sorrounded with a sweet flavour which i don't know how to explain:))"

Covered Market

The covered market was built in the 15th century by Mehmet I and today it is still the main shopping area for the town centre. There are different areas depending on what you need to buy, this street is full of jewellery shops and also currency exchange.

At the end of the corridor you can see the Turkish flags hanging from the ceiling, and (very small) between the two flags, a portrait of Atatürk, the founder of the modern Turkish republic.

Bursa Ipek...

...is the name of this chain of silk merchants. Inside each shop is an Aladdin's cave of scarves, you must have plenty of time to decide because all these shops are full with so many scarves,pashminas etc...of course the price depends on the handwork and the tissue...

ups i think i like something and i am going to buy it now....:))

Uludag ski resort

Today we have been to the Uludag ski resort, which is only about 30km from Bursa. It is Turkey's most famous ski resort. It will probably be one of the last trips though, as the snow was starting to melt.

Inside the Koza Han...

...this is what meets you when you pass through the entrance into the former silk market.

In the middle of the courtyard is a small cami (mosque) where people go to pray. Underneath there is a fountain. Now the rooms around the edge of the courtyard are occupied by silk merchants on the upper floor and on the ground floor are cafes which have their tables in the middle. They are filled with shoppers exhausted after their hard bargaining in the silk shops!

Çay and Simit

Çay (Turkish tea) is drunk strong and black, in small glasses like you can see in the photo. Many people like to put sugar in as well. The simit is another delicious snack which can be eaten with tea. It is a chewy, crusty bread ring covered with sesame seeds. It is savoury, not sweet, and it can be eaten with cream cheese or on its own.

Koza Han Entrance

The main entrance to the Koza Han (silk market)

The big entrance of kozahan,it was built in 1491 by sultan2. Beyazit.Before here they were selling cocoon..from these cocoons they were producing silk..this tradition came from the middle asia by the famous silk road.Inside it has like a hundred rooms where you can buy beautiful silk stuff.Of course now they are not selling cocoons anymore...when you go inside from that big door,you feel like you are not living in the year of 2008 ,back to the past...

Cake

Welcome to the "Reyhan Cakestall"....That's what it writes on the photo..This cakestall is very famous for its  "tahinli cake"....This cake is round  dough cake topped with sesame paste.We eat this cake usually in the afternoon with "cay"  tea in turkish.

Snowy Bursa

Two weeks ago there was snow in Bursa. It all melted after a few days though and now the weather is like spring.

Kahveci

Enjoying a coffee and a chat in the afternoon sun.

Old and New

Bursa is a mixture of old and new. Here you can see the modern shopping centre next to the covered market and mosque, which date from early Ottoman times.