The Great Mosque In Bursa

Built in the 14th century, this mosque is an excellent example of classical Ottoman architecture. Of special interest are the intricately carved wooden pulpit, and the three-tiered fountain

The Grand Mosque of Bursa (Turkish: Bursa Ulu Camii) is a historic mosque in Bursa, Turkey. It was commissioned by the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I to commemorate his great victory at the Battle of Nicopolis and built between 1396 and 1399.

The mosque is a major monument of early Ottoman architecture and one of the most important mosques in the city, located in the heart of the old city alongside its historic markets.

The Ulu Camii or “Great Mosque” is the largest mosque in Bursa, the first capital of the Ottoman Empire, and a landmark of early Ottoman architecture as it evolved out of Seljuk Turkish architecture. Ordered by Sultan Bayezid I, the mosque was designed and built by architect Ali Neccar in 1396–1399.

Bayezid I was the fourth ruler of the Ottoman empire. Shortly after the construction of this mosque he suffered one of the empire’s worse defeats at the hands of Timur (Tamerlane) at the Battle of Ankara in 1402.

Tradition holds that Timur went on to burn the mosque that same year and that the Qaramanid ruler Mehmed Bey did so again during a siege of the city in 1412. Whatever the case, the first recorded repairs to the mosque took place in 1493.

The mosque underwent further restorations across its history. Following a damaging earthquake in 1855 which caused the roof to collapse, the mosque was closed for a number of years. Repairs were completed in 1889.

The mosque is a large rectangular building measuring 55 by 69 meters with an interior surface area of 3165.5 square meters. It has three entrances (to the north, west and east), of which the northern entrance is the most monumental

At the mosque’s center is a unique fountain (şadırvan) over a water basin with eighteen corners, which in its current form dates from the 19th century. The fountain and water basin helped worshipers in performing their ritual ablutions. The dome over the şadırvan is open to the sky (though covered by glass today), creating a skylight which helps to illuminate the mosque’s dark interior.

Earthquakes are a major structural concern for the mosque, as they are with other buildings in Turkey. “Earthquakes are considerable threats to historically and culturally significant buildings in Turkey, with its active tectonics and seismicity”. The mosque was seriously damaged by earthquake at least once in 1855, which required its closure for many years and major repairs and reconstruction.

Islamic calligraphy in the mosque

The Grand Mosque is well known for its decorative calligraphy and has even been called a “calligraphy museum”. In Islamic architecture, Arabic calligraphy became a major element for visual decoration and communicating meaning to visitors.The mosque contains 192 monumental wall inscriptions, consisting of 87 different compositions written by 41 different major Ottoman calligraphers of that period.

Most of the calligraphy dates from between 1778 and 1938. The calligraphy is painted on the walls, columns and on small and large plates or medallions. The compositions include Qur’anic verses, hadiths, the 99 names of Allah, the different names of the Prophet Muhammad, and the names of major Islamic scholars.