The largest mosque in Bursa – The Grand Mosque of Bursa “Bursa ULU CAMİ”
In addition to the natural beauty of Bursa, it is characterized by a rich history of archaeological monuments and heritage places. Bursa contains some of the oldest and largest mosques in Turkey. In this article from Ebla Real Estate, we will talk about the largest mosque in Bursa, which is one of the architectural masterpieces.
An introduction about the largest mosque in Bursa:
The Ulu Camii or ” the Grand Mosque ” is the largest mosque in Bursa, the first capital of the Ottoman Empire, and a landmark of early Ottoman architecture.
This monumental structure built by Bayezid I, the fourth ruler of the Ottoman Empire, became the largest example of multi-domed mosque architecture within Ottoman architecture.
It is a historic mosque in Bursa and one of the most important mosques in the city.. Located in the center of Bursa, next to the covered market and the silk market in Bursa.
Moreover, “Ulu Cami” is recognized among the holy places within Islam.. As to be on the fifth place (after Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem and Damascus).
In addition, the mosque is a popular tourist destination, as it contains the covering of the door of the Kaaba, which was sent to the sultan in 1517 from Mecca.
The reason for building the Grand Mosque in Bursa:
The Sultan vowed to build twenty mosques if they won a victory over the European Alliance. After the victory in the battle of Nicopolis (Niğbolu Muharebesi), the Sultan started building 20 mosques. However, that was difficult, so after consultation, scholars and advisors suggested building a single mosque with twenty domes. Therefore, they built the Grand Mosque of Bursa (Ulu Cami).
The architectural properties and the most important repairs of the largest mosque in Bursa.
The largest mosque in Bursa was designed at the behest of Sultan Bayezid I. It has a rectangular shape with 20 domes, carried by 12 square columns. The dome over the unique fountain (şadırvan) is open to the sky to let in the natural light to illuminate the large building and the ablution water basin in the middle of the Grand Mosque. Moreover, it features two gates on its east and west facades along with the “Taçkapı” in the north.
Its ornamented minbar, which is a masterpiece of ornamentation, is made in the traditional Anatolian Seljuk style using wooden pieces fitted together without glue or nails. Moreover, minbar is formed of 6,666 pieces, corresponding to the number of verses in the Quran. There is also a depiction of our galaxy on its west facade and the solar system on its eastern façade. Additionally, the minbar faces the mihrab which is a semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the direction of prayer.
The mosque’s walls are painted with Ottoman Baroque-style decoration from the 19th century.. As well as with calligraphic compositions from the 18th to early 20th centuries.
It is worth noting the largest mosque in Bursa underwent extensive restoration after the 1855 earthquake. All 20 domes were repaired before the mosque was restored to worship in 1862. The mosque was also damaged in a fire in 1889 but it reopened with all its early glory.
Islamic calligraphy in the Grand Mosque in Bursa:
The Grand Mosque of Bursa is well known for its decorative calligraphy. It has even been called a “calligraphy museum” with 192 calligraphy works decorating its walls.
There are 87 calligraphy works by 41 different calligraphers, who used 13 different fonts. The calligraphies include verses from the Quran, hadiths, 99 names of Allah.. As well as the different names for the Prophet Muhammad and notable Islamic scholars.
Thus, in this article from Ebla Real Estate, we talked about the largest mosque in Bursa, which is one of the architectural, archaeological, historical, Islamic and tourist masterpieces in Bursa.
Edited by: Ebla Group Real Estate
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