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The Yıldırım Bayezid Complex (Yıldırım Bayezid Külliyesi) is perched on a hill northeast of the historic city center of Bursa, Turkey. It’s included in the city’s UNESCO World Heritage listing.
Introduction to the Yıldırım Bayezid Complex
The Yıldırım Bayezid Complex was built between 1391 and 1395 by Sultan Bayezid I. It’s situated on a hill that was once part of a village called Orta Kızık, which has since been swallowed by the modern city. The complex included a mosque and dervish lodge, two madrasas, a tomb, a hamam, a caravanserai, a hospital, kitchens, and stables. Today, only one madrasa, the mosque, the tomb, and the hamam survive. It’s a very pleasant space to visit. To get there, we walked from the Green Tomb and it only took 15 minutes. The nearest metro station is Gökdere.
Bayezid I Mosque
The Bayezid I Mosque is the centerpiece of the Yıldırım Bayezid Complex and is at the highest point of the hill. It was built on a revers T-plan, similar to other imperial Ottoman mosques in Bursa, and has two minarets. Click here for a virtual tour.
The interior of the mosque consists of a central hall topped by a large dome, along with iwans on the east and west sides topped by smaller domes. The iwans are three steps higher than the central hall. A larger domed iwan on the south side contains the mihrab and minbar. It’s separated from the central hall by an arch known as the Bursa arch supporting the two largest domes.
Four rooms are connected to the north and south iwans and are accessed from the central hall. They functioned as the dervish lodge.
Bayezid I Madrasa
The Bayezid I Madrasa (Yıldırım Bayezid Medresesi), the religious school of the mosque complex, was completed in 1399. The madrasa had 20 student cells and a large domed classroom. It was reconstructed after an earthquake in 1855.
Tomb of Bayezid I
The tomb of Bayezid I (Yıldırım Bayezid Türbesi) belongs to the builder of the mosque complex. It was commissioned by his son, Süleyman Çelebi, and built in 1406 by architect Ali bin Hüseyin. The tomb consists of a single room topped by a dome and a portico with three small domes. The two red marble columns on the portico were taken from an older Byzantine structure. The tomb was rebuilt after an earthquake in 1855.
Biography of Bayezid I
Bayezid I (b. 1360, Ottoman beylik – d. 1403, Timurid Empire) was the 4th Ottoman Sultan (r. 1389-1402). One of the most powerful rulers in the history of the Ottoman Empire, he was nicknamed Yıldırım (thunderbolt). He conquered Bulgaria and northern Greece, made efforts to unite Anatolia, and also unsuccessfully laid siege to Constantinople. Known as an unpredictable and impulsive ruler, Bayezid I left most of the governing to his viziers and governors. He was a talented military leader who had a taste for luxury and debauchery, but was also deeply religious.
Bayezid I was captured in the Battle of Ankara against Timur (1336-1405) and the Timurid Empire in 1402 and died in captivity the following year. His death sparked a bloody Ottoman civil war, which was fought among his sons and lasted 11 years. The winner was Sultan Mehmed I. Click here for a virtual tour of the tomb.
