Bursa and Uludağ

Bursa spreads out at the foot of Uludağ, the great mountain of the Marmara region, 1 h 55 by road from central Istanbul. Before Edirne and then Istanbul, it was the first capital of the Ottoman Empire, and it keeps the empire's founding monuments: hence the property inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014, "Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the Birth of the Ottoman Empire". Visitors come for one or two nights on the way out of Istanbul, for the historic city, the baths and the mountain.

What UNESCO inscribed

The property brings together several groups of monuments spread across the city:

• the Great Mosque, Ulu Camii;
• the Green Mosque and its tomb;
• the Muradiye complex;
• the han district, the urban caravanserais;
• the village of Cumalıkızık, 15 minutes by road, at the foot of the mountain.

One day is enough for the monuments in the centre; add Cumalıkızık in the late afternoon.

Çekirge, the bath quarter

West of the centre, the Çekirge quarter grew up around hot springs. Thermal hotels and old baths abound; it is a chance for a hammam after sightseeing. No Çekirge hotel is in Sabaro's selection: the quarter's large thermal hotels have become conference or chain hotels.

Uludağ

The cable car leaves from Teferrüç and climbs towards the heights of Uludağ. The mountain's hotel zone is about 30 km and 35 minutes by road from the centre. In winter the ski resort usually operates from December to late March. The resort hotels work mostly on full-board or all-inclusive terms, which Sabaro does not offer; you can go up for the day from the city.

İznik, ancient Nicaea

1 h 05 by road to the north-east, İznik is ancient Nicaea, the town of the First Council of Nicaea. It makes half a day from Bursa, or a stop on the way to Istanbul.

The hotel in the selection

Kitap Evi Otel is a konak, an Ottoman mansion, on the Tophane ramparts, which was a bookshop before becoming a hotel. Its 13 rooms are all different; some have a hammam, others a fireplace or a bay window, and several look out on the Great Mosque and the Green Tomb. The garden, enclosed by high stone walls, hosts the restaurant. Price recorded for two nights in early June 2027: about €150 per night for two, without breakfast.

When to go

In Bursa the average high is 19.2 °C in April, 24.4 °C in May and 22.2 °C in October; summer is hot, 31 to 32 °C in July and August, and winter mild in town, around 10 °C in the afternoon in January, but wet. For the city, April to June and September to October; for skiing, January to March.

Getting to Bursa

By road from Istanbul: 1 h 55 from Sultanahmet and 2 h 30 from Istanbul Airport, excluding traffic, which can double these times. By sea, IDO and BUDO ferries link Istanbul (Yenikapı or Kabataş) with the port of Mudanya in 1 h 30 to 2 h, then it takes 1 h to 1 h 30 to central Bursa. Bursa-Yenişehir Airport has few flights. Edirne, the other former Ottoman capital, has its own page.

Safety

None of the European foreign ministries followed by Sabaro advises against Bursa or Uludağ. Several European ministries call for heightened vigilance across the country and recall the earthquake risk in the Marmara region, where a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck in April 2025. The "Travel advice" table on this page gives the advice of your country.