Where next?

These containers are waiting in the Bursa free trade zone which is next to the port at Gemlik, just outside Bursa. The free trade zone produces goods for export - mainly to Europe but also the rest of the world.

Giant Billboard

This is the Zafer Plaza, the first Western style shopping centre to appear in Bursa. The glass pyramid makes quite a contrast with the old buildings which surround it. Especially at the moment while it seems to be used for an advertising campaign.

Sun Express

There is an airport in Bursa but the only airline that flies there is Sun Express. It is a joint venture between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa. For the moment the only destinations are within Turkey - Trabzon, Erzurum and Diyarbakır. This poster is advertising seats at 49YTL (€22/$33).

Bursa has a lot of inhabitants from other parts of Turkey who came to find work, so these flights maybe let them visit their families more easily. Travelling to these cities by road would take well over 18 hours.

There are a lot of international businesses here though and the ferry to Istanbul is always filled with people travelling to the airport. It is strange that Bursa's airport is not more used.

Kafkas

This is one of the newer branches of Kafkas, maker of the cakes we wrote about earlier. This branch also has a restaurant and coffee shop.

Cake, anyone?

These delicious looking cakes are for sale in the Kafkas shop. Kafkas is more famous for kestane şekeri (candied chestnuts), a Bursa speciality. But their cakes are not bad either. Here it is very common to take a cake like this when you are invited to someone's house for dinner.

Ikea opens in Bursa

The new Ikea which just opened in Bursa. It was quite strange seeing it here.

We never milked a cow before

"This is the publicity campaign of a turkish telephone operator....they have a campaign for the children in Turkey...They chose last summer some children who were studying in the big cities and took them to the east part of Turkey ...gave them a chance to pass their summer vacation in the villages...Also for the ones who were living in the villages and got use to the village life had the chance to see the big cities...

so the photo of the pub had taken in one of those eastern villages..you can see the children with the cow ...they are going to drink their first milk DIRECTLY from the producer:)))  instead of buying from the city's big markets...

nice idea isn't it...."

Ikea comes to Bursa

This post is for anyone who thought Bursa was not on the international map... that's right Bursa IKEA will be opening soon! Bursa has been flooded with advertisements like this one for the grand opening on 13th November. The caption says 'Uludağ (mountain) is in Bursa, and a mountain-like bookcase is in one box'

We are also very pleased to add Elaine of Willits Daily Photo as a new author on BDP. Elaine has kindly offered to help us with potential logistical difficulties over the next weeks (or months, if it goes anything like the Wordpress ban)

Kaplama

Kaplama means 'covering' and this cart offers plastic covering of documents, for instance a driving license.

Queueing for Pide

During Ramadan the bakeries don't sell much during the day, but around 6pm they start to sell Ramadan Pide. Here people are queueing to get theirs fresh from the oven ready for the end of the fast.

Illusion

This is not what it looks like... the door and windows of this little cottage are just painted. I think it is a gas distribution station or something like that. Anyway, it's a very nice way to disguise what would otherwise be an ugly concrete box.

Warning

This sign was next to a building site. They managed to pack a lot of warnings onto one sign!

Is Bank

"here is  one of the branch of The Turkish Republic first bank  called Turkish Work Bank..."

Queen Elizabeth II visits Bursa

Yesterday was a day of great excitement in Bursa because Queen Elizabeth came to visit. Of course today the visit is in all the newspapers... The headline means 'the eyes of the world were on this trip'.

She visited Koza Han, where she bought a silk scarf and ate a specially prepared lunch of Turkish food. Later she visited the Yesil Mosque (green mosque). In the picture she is listening to prayers in the mosque. The people of Bursa appreciated the visit very much.

On the BBC website you can see a short film of the Queen's visit to Bursa.

Bursa Trade Zone

This is the entrance to the Organize industrial zone, on the Mudanya road. The two biggest industries in Bursa are textiles and automotive. The textile companies are mostly local, and they manufacture clothes and other textiles for international companies like Gap and Marks & Spencer.

Water Delivery

This is a really good idea which I have never seen in another place. Maybe some of you have seen it in your countries?

Instead of buying water in small bottles from the shop or supermarket, these companies (the one in the picture is called Erikli) deliver 19 litre bottles. You dispense the water by attaching a small pump to the bottle. When it is finished the van comes with a new bottle, and takes the empty one away to be refilled - it is convenient and environmentally friendly as well!

Bursa Spor Kiosk

"here is a photo from a shopping center ..this is the store of Bursaspor football team..they call themselves .."the crocodiles" because of the colour i guess...green and white are Bursaspor colours...and we called to their fans "texas" because they are like cowboys ... very  fanatic !!..."

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.

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...:))