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The Green Mosque (Yeşil Camii) is one of the most important Ottoman landmarks in Bursa, Turkey. It’s part of a complex located in the Yeşil neighborhood and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing for Bursa.
Green Mosque
The Green Mosque was commissioned by Sultan Mehmed I and built between 1419 and 1424. It was the focal part of the Green Complex (Yeşil Külliye), which included a tomb, madrasa, soup kitchen, and a hamam. The architect was Hacı İvaz Pasha (d. 1428). Decorative work continued after the death of Sultan Mehmed I, who’s buried in the Green Tomb just behind the mosque.
The Green Mosque was damaged during an earthquake in 1855 and restored by French architect Léon Parvillée (1830-1885) beginning in 1863. He rebuilt the two minarets and restored the interior, exterior, and tiles. Further restorations took place between 1941 and 1943, and again between 2010 and 2012.
Exterior of the Green Mosque
The exterior of the Green Mosque is made of sandstone covered with marble panels. The domes on top of the building were once decorated with blue-green tiles but are now covered in lead.
There are fine carvings on the entrance portal and window frames. The portal is made of carved marble and features a muqarnas niche. It was once covered by a porch that was destroyed during the earthquake in 1855.
If you look closely at the window to the right side of the entrance portal, you’ll notice the carving has not been completed. This implies that for some reason the decorations on the mosque are unfinished. Also, some windows on the side of the building are bordered with blue-green tiles.
Directly in front of the entrance to the Green Mosque is an octagonal ablutions fountain (şadırvan) under a pavilion.
Interior of the Green Mosque
The Green Mosque was built on an inverted T-shaped plan. It’s an interesting building to explore and is beautifully decorated.
Vestibule of the Green Mosque
The entrance portal leads into a small vestibule connected to the central hall. This is where visitors get their first glimpse of the beautiful green tile work the mosque is known for. Both walls are covered in dark green hexagonal tiles. A roundel in the middle contains intricate floral patterns.
Central Hall of the Green Mosque
The central hall is the lower level of today’s prayer hall. It sits under the largest dome of the mosque and wasn’t originally carpeted. When the mosque was built, it was intended to be used as both a mosque and government center with a courthouse. The central hall linked the government center with the prayer hall and other rooms.
The central hall features a gorgeous octagonal marble fountain with a pool. The purpose of the fountain was to prevent eavesdropping with the natural sound of running water.
Sultan’s Loge
On the rear wall of the central hall, there are two niches on either side of the entrance. The niches are elaborately decorated with fine tile work. The even more stunning sultan’s loge (hünkâr mahfili) sits just above. The sultan’s loge is usually closed to the public.
Side Rooms of the Green Mosque
Rooms to the left and right flank the central hall. Each room is topped by a dome and decorated with tiles along the walls. These rooms were used for government business as well as prayer.
Prayer Hall of the Green Mosque
Three steps lead up to the prayer hall. The huge mihrab stands 15 meters (49 feet high). It’s adorned with ornate tiles along with fine calligraphy. The tile work is attributed to Nakkaş Ali, who managed a team of craftsmen called the Masters of Tabriz. This explains the Persian and Timurid influence in the decoration.
The prayer hall is topped with the most elegantly decorated dome in the building, featuring colorful floral patterns. On either side of the steps leading up to the prayer hall are marble niches to store shoes.
Government Offices
Finally, small doors on either side of the prayer hall lead to two government offices. Each room has a flat ceiling. Many guidebooks indicate these were guest rooms attached to the mosque to housed traveling dervishes, but a guide told us otherwise.
The guide said it’s not logical that the rooms were used as guest rooms. It would have been too dangerous to have guests in close proximity to the Sultan and a government center. Also, the niches and cabinets were meant to store documents. Click here for a virtual tour of the Green Mosque.
Green Tomb
The Green Tomb (Yeşil Türbe) is behind the mosque. It’s arguably the most extraordinary and well-known tomb of all the Ottoman Sultans. It’s also one of the defining symbols of Bursa.
The Green Tomb is the final resting place of Sultan Mehmed I, and yes, it’s actually green. It was built following his death in 1421 by his son, Sultan Murad II. The architect was Hacı İvaz Pasha (d. 1428), who also designed the Green Mosque.
The hexagonal building sits on a small hill higher than the rest of the Green Mosque complex. The exterior is covered in blue-green tiles that give it its name. The majority of the original tiles were replaced with Kütahya tiles following an 1855 earthquake.
Features of the Green Tomb
The entrance portal is very ornate and contains green, blue, white, and yellow Iznik tiles. There’s a muqarnas niche atop the entrance.
The interior of the Green Tomb is even more stunning. The sarcophagus of the Sultan sits on a raised platform and is encased in tiles with Islamic calligraphy. More tiles line the interior walls up to the top of the windows, and there’s also fine woodwork.
The mihrab is the most striking part of the interior and mimics the beautiful decorations of the entrance portal. There’s also fine woodwork. Click here for a virtual tour of the tomb.
Biography of Mehmed I
Mehmed I (b. 1389, Bursa – d. 1421, Bursa) was the 5th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (r. 1413-1421). Also known as Mehmed Çelebi, he fought against his brothers for control over the empire during the Ottoman Interregnum (1402-1413). He then reunited the empire and eliminated threats to his rule until his death eight years later.
Other Burials in the Green Tomb
There are eight other burials in the Green Tomb. They include the sons of Mehmed I, Mustafa (1408-1423), Mahmud (1413-1429), and Yusuf (1414-1429); the daughters of Mehmed I, Selçuk Hatun (1407-1485), Sitti Hatun, Hafsa Hatun (b. 1410), and Ayşe Hatun (b. 1414); and Daya Hatun, the nanny of Ayşe Hatun.
Green Soup Kitchen
Just past the tomb and mosque is the Green Soup Kitchen (Yeşil İmareti Aşevi). It was built between 1414 and 1421 by architect Hacı İvaz Pasha (d. 1428).
The soup kitchen provided free meals to students at the madrasa as well as the hungry and poor. It has been restored and is currently used as an event center.
Green Madrasa
The Green Madrasa was built in 1419. It consists of a courtyard surrounded by a vaulted portico on three sides and a large domed classroom opposite the entrance.The portico sits on arches supported by columns recycled from Byzantine and Roman buildings. A small fountain sits in the center of the courtyard.
There were 13 student cells, a teacher’s room, and toilets. Famous Ottoman scholars such as Mehmed Şah Fenari, Alaeddin Tusi, Molla Yegan, and Molla Hüsrev (d. 1480) all worked at the madrasa.
On April 8, 1930, the Green Madrasa reopened as the Bursa Archaeological Museum, which moved there from the Bursa High School for Boys (Bursa İdadi-i Mülkîsi). The collection included both archaeological artifacts as well as Islamic and ethnographic arts. In 1972, the archaeological collection moved to a new building for the Bursa Archaeological Museum at Reşat Oyal Culture Park.
The Islamic and ethnographic arts collection was reorganized and remained in the Green Madrasa. It reopened as the Bursa Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts (Bursa Türk İslam Eserleri Müzesi) on November 22, 1975. The building has continued to host the museum since then, and underwent a major restoration in the 2010s.
Bursa Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
The Bursa Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts is an excellent museum. It’s open daily and admission for foreigners is €5 (as of August 2024). The museum is very well organized and all information is in both Turkish and English. Visit the official website for more info.
The path through museum follows a counterclockwise direction, starting in the first room to the right of the entrance. It includes information on the architecture of the Green Madrasa, with a scale model of the building and its location in relation to the Green Mosque and Green Tomb.
Wood Art
The collection starts in the second room with wood art. Many pieces contain inlaid mother-of-pearl, including lecterns, chests, cradles, and tables.
Dervish Lodge Items
Turning the corner are rooms three and four, which focus on items used in dervish lodges. On display are artifacts such as turbans and drums.
Weapons
The fifth room contains a collection of weapons and armor. Swords and sheaths, rifles, clubs, daggers, and other weapons are on display. One item that stood out was an Ottoman helmet and chainmail.
Islamic Coins
The sixth room displays Islamic coins. They date from the Umayyad period to the Ottoman period. The information explains how Islamic coins differed from Byzantine and Roman coins by including calligraphy rather than faces. It also goes over the different materials used to mint coins
Calligraphy
In the seventh room are calligraphic arts. The tools used to make them, including brushes, scissors, and ink wells, sit in a display case in the center of the room.
Ottoman Dress and Jewelry
The large domed classroom of the Green Madrasa hosts traditional Ottoman dress and jewelry. Of particular interest is a velvet door curtain that once adorned the entrance to the Green Tomb. It dates back to the 19th century.
Hamam Culture
Continuing along to the other side of the courtyard, the ninth room focuses on hamam culture. On display are towels, wooden clogs, bowls, and a marble wash basin, among other items.
Turkish Coffee Culture
The tenth room covers Turkish coffee culture. Coffee houses were important meeting places during the Ottoman era. Turkish coffee cups and cup holders, as well as coffee pots and kettles, make up most of the exhibit.
Metal and Glass Art
The 11th room, which was closed, features Islamic calligraphy. I continued to the 12th room to see metal and glass art. It includes sherbet glasses and jugs, copper trays and candlesticks, incense burners, and rose water dispensers.
Ceramics
Next is the 13th room. It’s filled with beautiful ceramic works from the Seljuk and Ottoman periods. Vases, bowls, pitchers, and other items fill the display cases.
Shadow Puppets
The 14th and final room features shadow puppets, which are a cultural symbol of Bursa. Traditional Turkish shadow puppets originated in the city, and the main characters are Karagöz and Hacivat. Karagöz is the vulgar and unintelligent character while Hacivat is more level-headed and logical.
It isn’t clear when or why the puppets were actually created, but they may have been real people. According to legend, Karagöz and Hacivat were construction workers on the Orhan Gazi Mosque project in Bursa. They were always arguing and distracting the other workers, in turn slowing down the construction process.
A local official became angry with them and had them both executed. They other workers loved them for their comic relief, so they created the puppets to pay tribute to their memory.
Yeşil Neighborhood
The Green Mosque and its associated complex lie in the heart of the Yeşil neighborhood, which, as previously indicated, translates to green. In fact, you’ll often hear Bursa referred to as Yeşil Bursa. That’s actually an allusion to the parks and gardens in the city as well as the lush green forests surrounding it, not the neighborhood.
Lining the streets of Yeşil are colorfully restored Ottoman homes and buildings. Many have been converted to shops or restaurants. You’ll also find one of the touristic Bursa signs as you approach the Green Tomb and Green Mosque.
Park
Following the road around the back side of the Green Tomb is a small park full of trees. There’s an outdoor café to sit and enjoy the scenery as well as a row of souvenir, craft, and calligraphy shops.
Şible Mosque
Finally, if walking to the Emir Sultan Mosque, you’ll pass the Şible Mosque (Şible Camii). It was originally built in 1457 by Mevlana Bayezid Çelebi of the Şible family, and rebuilt in 1987 by members of the same family. It’s a small, simple mosque with a wooden roof and a single minaret. Unfortunately, it lost its original appearance during the reconstruction.
