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The Muradiye Complex (Muradiye Külliyesi) is a mosque complex in Bursa, Turkey. It’s located in the Muradiye district and included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing for Bursa.
Introduction to the Muradiye Complex
The Muradiye Complex was built by Sultan Murad II, the father of Mehmed the Conqueror (Mehmed II). It was completed after 1426 and was the last mosque complex built by an Ottoman sultan in Bursa.
The Muradiye Complex contains a mosque, madrasa, hamam, and 12 tombs. It’s about a 15 minute walk from historic city center, Tophane Park, or Bursa Castle. A short taxi ride from any of those areas shouldn’t cost much.
Muradiye Mosque
The Muradiye Mosque (Muradiye Camii) was the first part of the complex completed. It was built between 1424 and 1426 on a reverse T plan and has a domed portico at the entrance. The mosque was restored between 2013 and 2014.
There are two minarets and an ablutions fountain (şadırvan) in front. Both minarets were rebuilt in 1904 after sustaining damage during an earthquake in 1855.
The prayer hall is decorated with blue tiles along the lower wall. It also includes stained glass windows and a beautiful chandelier. The mihrab and minbar were reconstructed after the 1855 earthquake.
Muradiye Madrasa
The Muradiye Madrasa (Muradiye Medresesi) was completed shortly after the mosque and sits to the west. It contained 14 student cells, a large domed classroom, and two intermediate classrooms. They all surrounded a central courtyard with an octagonal marble pool in the center.
After it was restored in 1951, the madrasa was used as a tuberculosis dispensary and later as a cancer diagnosis center. It underwent another extensive restoration between 2014 and 2017. Today, the building houses the Muradiye Calligraphy Museum, which opened on January 18, 2019. The museum is open daily except Mondays and admission is free (as of February 2024).
Muradiye Hamam
The Muradiye Hamam (Muradiye Hamamı) is a block west of the madrasa. It was built between 1425 and 1426 and is a simple structure as far as hamams are concerned. The former Turkish bath was restored between 2008 and 2010 and is currently used as a cultural and educational center.
Muradiye Soup Kitchen
The Muradiye Soup Kitchen (Muradiye İmareti) is just east of the mosque. It now houses a restaurant serving Ottoman cuisine.
Tombs at the Muradiye Complex
The 12 tombs at the Muradiye Complex are the final resting place of 40 members of the Ottoman dynasty. They were built between the late 15th to late 16th centuries and include two open-air tombs for non-members of the dynasty.
The tombs sit in a quiet and peaceful section of the complex with the entrance between the mosque and madrasa. They’re surrounded by tall trees and connected by a winding path.
On my first two visits to Bursa, only two of the tombs were open to the public. The rest were restored between 2012 and 2015, and I was excited to see the results on later visits to the city. There’s no admission to visit the tombs (as of May 2024), and the map at the entrance provides a suggested path to see them. Inside the tombs are booklets with before and after photos of the restoration.
Below I’ll cover the tombs following the suggested path from #1 through 12. Walking down the path from the entrance, the first tomb encountered sits to the left and is actually #12. It should be bypassed until the end.
Tomb of Murad II
Tomb #1 belongs to Sultan Murad II. It’s the largest and most important tomb in the Muradiye Complex. Sources conflict the date of its construction. It was either built before his death in 1451, or by his son Mehmed the Conqueror in 1481. The eaves covering the entrance are stunningly decorated with fine woodwork.
The interior of the tomb is very simple. It was built according to the last will of Murad II, which called for a square structure open to the sky to allow rain to fall on his grave, and a gallery to allow students to memorize the Quran. Murad II, who died in Edirne, was brought to Bursa and buried directly in the ground without being placed in a sarcophagus.
The columns supporting the roof contain Byzantine pedestals and capitals recycled from other buildings. The flower motifs on the mihrab, above the windows, and along the walls date back to the 16th century. They were plastered over in the 19th century and rediscovered during restoration in 2013.
An annex connected to the east wall of the tomb of Murad II contains four burials. They include his sons, Şehzade Alaaddin (1425-1443) and Şehzade Ahmed (1419-1437), and his daughters, Şehzade Hatun and Hatice Hatun. Murad II was devastated by the death of Şehzade Alaaddin and wanted to be buried near him. Access to the annex was created by a window being rebuilt as a door.
Biography of Murad II
Murad II (b. 1404, Amasya – d. 1451, Edirne) was the 6th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (r. 1421-1444, 1446-1451). His reign was marked by 25 years of conflict against Christian feudal lords in the Balkans and Turkish beyliks in Anatolia. He unsuccessfully laid siege to Constantinople in 1421, and declared war on Venice, Serbia, Hungary, and the Karamanids. Murad II defeated the Karamanids in 1428, conquered Thessaloniki from the Venetians in 1430 after an eight year siege, and annexed Serbia in 1439. He also removed opposition to Ottoman expansion in Europe by defeating John Hunyadi (1406-1456) at the Battle of Varna on November 10, 1444.
Murad II abdicated the throne in favor of his 12 year old son, Mehmed II (Mehmed the Conqueror), but he was forced to return two years later after a Janissary revolt. In 1450, during his second reign, he led his army into Albania to put down a rebellion by Skënderbej (1405-1468) and was defeated at Krujë. Murad II saw himself as a simple soldier who did not partake in royal excess. This gained him respect from all over the Muslim world.
Tomb of Şehzade Mustafa
Next is Tomb #2, which belongs to Şehzade Mustafa. It sits a bit behind and to the right of the tomb of Murad II. It was built in 1573 by his brother, Sultan Selim II, and the architect was Mehmed Çavuş. Mustafa was originally buried in a different tomb in Bursa.
The tomb is decorated with beautiful 16th century Iznik tiles and hand-drawn floral patterns. The patterns were plastered over in the 19th century and rediscovered during restoration in 2013. Marble tiles were recycled from the Byzantine palace in Bursa. There’s no mihrab.
There are four sarcophagi in the tomb. Burials other than Şehzade Mustafa include his mother, Mahidevran (1500-1581), and Şehzade Osman (d. 1512), the son of a Şehzade Bayezid (I’m not sure which one). The occupant of the fourth sarcophagus is unknown.
Biography of Şehzade Mustafa
Şehzade Mustafa (1515-1553) was the eldest son of Süleyman the Magnificent and was immensely popular. He was the heir apparent to the Ottoman throne, although he had a fractured relationship with his father, mostly due to a rivalry between his mother, Mahidevran, and Süleyman’s legal wife, Hürrem Sultan (1502-1558).
In 1549, Grand Vizier Rüstem Pasha (c. 1505-1561) formed an alliance with Hürrem Sultan in favor of her sons Selim and Bayezid. Later, in 1553, Rüstem Pasha warned Süleyman that Mustafa was trying to kill him. Although there was no evidence, Süleyman ordered the execution of Mustafa by strangulation. He was murdered on October 6, 1553, after entering his father’s field tent in Konya.
In response to his death, Mustafa’s soldiers and the Janissaries rebelled against Süleyman. The people, who saw Mustafa as their next Sultan, blamed Rüstem Pasha, Hürrem Sultan, and Süleyman for the unfair execution. Şehzade Mustafa spent a week lying in state at Hagia Sophia before being transferred to his first tomb in Bursa. In the aftermath, Rüstem Pasha was dismissed from his post as Grand Vizier.
Tomb of Cem Sultan
The 3rd tomb at the Muradiye Complex belongs to Cem Sultan, a son of Mehmed the Conqueror. It was originally built in 1479 for his brother Şehzade Mustafa (1450-1474), who died near Niğde. After Cem Sultan was buried there in 1499, the tomb took his name.
The tomb of Cem Sultan (Cem Sultan Türbesi) is the most richly decorated tomb in the complex. The walls are covered with turquoise and dark blue Iznik tiles for the first 2.35 meters. The rest of the walls and the dome are decorated with beautiful 16th century hand-drawn motifs. Like the other tombs, they were plastered over in the 19th century and rediscovered during restoration in 2013.
There are four marble sarcophagi in the tomb. They belong to the aforementioned Cem Sultan and Şehzade Mustafa as well as Şehzade Abdullah (d. 1485) and Şehzade Alemşah (d. 1503). The latter two were sons of Sultan Bayezid II.
Biography of Cem Sultan
Cem Sultan (1459-1495) was the third son of Mehmed the Conqueror. In 1481, he lost the battle to his older half-brother, Bayezid II, to take the Ottoman throne. Cem Sultan fled first to Cairo, where he was protected by the Mamluk Sultanate, and a year later to Rhodes, where he was protected by the Knights Hospitaller. A few months later, he was betrayed and sent to France, where he spent six years and was used as a political hostage.
In 1489, Cem Sultan arrived in Rome, where Pope Innocent VIII unsuccessfully tried to convert him to Christianity and use him to launch a new crusade against the Ottomans. His presence in Rome was a problem for Bayezid II, as the Pope threatened to release him every time the Sultan intended to attack Christian nations in the Balkans. In order for the Pope to maintain custody of his brother, Bayezid II paid a ransom to the Vatican equal to all annual sources of papal revenue combined. This ransom financed much of the work on the Sistine Chapel.
Cem Sultan died in Capua, near Naples, on February 24, 1495. Sultan Bayezid II declared three days of mourning and requested to have his body returned to the Ottoman Empire for burial. The body was finally repatriated in 1499 after the Pope held out for four more years in an attempt to receive more payments of gold.
Tomb of Şirin Hatun
The tomb of Şirin Hatun (before 1450 – after 1500), which was built in the early 16th century, is Tomb #4. Şirin Hatun was a consort of Sultan Bayezid II and gave birth to his eldest son, Şehzade Abdullah, and a daughter, Aynışah Hatun. She had a mosque built in Trabzon and one school each in Bursa and Mihaliç (modern Karacabey).
The walls of the tomb are adorned with hand-drawn decorations, and the dome is beautifully painted. It contains a total of three sarcophagi. Buried alongside Şirin Hatun are her son’s wife, Ferahşah Hatun, and her son’s daughter, Aynışah Sultan.
Tomb of Gülruh Hatun
Next door is the tomb of Gülruh Hatun (Gülruh Hatun Türbesi), which is Tomb #5. It was built in 1527 for Gülruh Hatun, who died sometime after its completion. She was a consort of Sultan Bayezid II and bore him a son, Şehzade Alemşah, and a daughter, Kamer Sultan.
Gülruh Hatun was very generous, building a mosque and school in both Akhisar and Bursa. She also built several other structures, such as hamams, caravanserais, shops, and mills.
The tomb includes excellent examples of 16th century calligraphy on the upper walls and an ornately decorated dome. The hand-drawn floral motifs atop the windows also date back to the 16th century. They were plastered over in the 19th century and rediscovered during renovation in 2013.
There are a total of four sarcophagi in the tomb. In addition to Gülruh Hatun are the burials of her daughter Kamer Sultan (1476-?); Fatma Sultan, the daughter of Şehzade Alemşah; and Osman, the son of Kamer Sultan.
Tomb of Ebe Gülbahar Hatun
The 6th tomb is an open-air tomb. There’s no inscription or definite information about who’s buried there. Tradition says it belongs to Ebe Gülbahar Hatun, the midwife of Mehmed the Conqueror.
Tomb of Şehzade Mahmud
The 7th tomb at the Muradiye Complex belongs to Şehzade Mahmud (d. 1507). He was a son of Sultan Bayezid II and died during his governorship in Manisa. The tomb was commissioned by his mother, Bülbül Hatun (d. 1515), and the architect was Yakup Şah bin Sultan Şah.
The interior of the tomb is richly decorated with hexagonal turquoise and dark blue tiles up to a height of 2.9 meters. There are also 16th century hand-drawn decorations that were plastered over in the 19th century. They were rediscovered during restoration in 2013. The dome, which is decorated with floral patterns and calligraphy, is one of the most beautiful in the Muradiye Complex.
Four marble sarcophagi occupy the tomb. Buried alongside Şehzade Mahmud are his three sons, Orhan, Emir, and Musa. They were all strangled in 1512 by Sultan Selim I to eliminate any opposition to the throne.
Tomb of Mükrime Hatun
Next is the tomb of Mükrime Hatun (Mükrime Hatun Türbesi), which is Tomb #8. The date of construction is estimated to be shortly after 1517. It’s decorated with colorful floral and geometric patterns from different periods.
Mükrime Hatun (d. 1517) was the wife of Şehzade Şehinşah, the son of Sultan Bayezid II. There are two more sarcophagi in the tomb, but their occupants are unknown.
Tomb of Gülşah Hatun
The 9th tomb is that of Gülşah Hatun (d. 1487), a consort of Mehmed the Conqueror who bore him a son, Şehzade Mustafa. It was built while she was still alive.
The interior of the tomb is very plain, as the decorations have not survived to this day. Another sarcophagus sits next to Gülşah Hatun’s but the occupant is unknown.
Tombstone Exhibition
After Tomb #9, the suggested path through the Muradiye Complex continues through an exhibition of Ottoman tombstones. There are hundreds on display dating between the 15th and 19th centuries. Only one small section contains real graves.
The first part of the exhibition includes tombstone headpieces, which gave details about the person’s social status and identity. Tombstones belonging to men were decorated with headdresses according to their occupation or religious sect, while tombstones belonging to women included motifs of flowers or necklaces.
The rest of the exhibition is broken down into three chronological sections: 15th-16th century, 17th-18th century, and 19th century. Tombstones on display are written in Ottoman, Persian, and Arabic. In addition to the tombstones, there are building inscriptions and architectural pieces.
Saraylılar Tomb
The 10th tomb in the Muradiye Complex is the open-air Saraylılar Tomb (Saraylılar Türbesi). It sits east of the Muradiye Mosque and is named for two women of the Ottoman court buried there. The construction date is estimated to be sometime in the 15th century, but the sponsor is unknown.
The two sarcophagi belong to Akile Hanım and Belkıs Hanım. They were the older sisters of Mahidevran (c. 1500-1581), a consort of Süleyman the Magnificent. It’s the only tomb in the complex topped with a pyramidal spire.
Tomb of Hüma Hatun
Next to the Saraylılar Tomb is the tomb of Hüma Hatun (Hüma Hatun Türbesi), which is Tomb #11. It was commissioned by Sultan Murad II in 1449 and later built by his son, Mehmed the Conqueror. It’s also known as the Hatuniye Tomb (Hatuniye Türbesi) or the White Tomb (Ak Türbe).
The interior of the tomb is covered with hand-drawn decorations dating back to the 19th century. They grace the walls, mihrab, and dome.
Hüma Hatun (c. 1410-1449) was the fourth wife of Sultan Murad II and the mother of Mehmed the Conqueror. Her origin may have been Italian, Jewish, or Serbian.
Tomb of Şehzade Ahmed
The 12th and final tomb at the Muradiye Complex is the tomb of Şehzade Ahmed (Şehzade Ahmed Türbesi). It’s back near the complex entrance and next to the tomb of Murad II. It was built in 1513 by his brother, Sultan Selim I. The architect was Bedreddin Mahmud Bey.
The entrance to the tomb has a marble door case with a drop arch. Inside, there are hand-drawn decorations on the dome and dome skirt, as well as hexagonal turquoise and dark blue tiles along the walls. There’s also fine calligraphy above the tiles.
There are six marble sarcophagi in the tomb. Buried alongside Şehzade Ahmed are his mother, Bülbül Hatun (d. 1515); his younger brother, Şehzade Şehinşah (1471-1511); and Şehzade Mehmed, the son of Şehzade Şehinşah. The other two burials are believed to be Sofu Sultan, the daughter of Sultan Bayezid II, and Kamer Sultan, the daughter of Şehzade Ahmed. It’s also presumed that Şehzade Korkut (1469-1513), the brother of Şehzade Ahmed and Sultan Selim I, is buried there.
Biography of Şehzade Ahmed
Şehzade Ahmed (c. 1465-1513) was the son of Sultan Bayezid II and his favored successor. After Selim dethroned his father and became Sultan, Ahmed declared himself Sultan of Anatolia and captured Konya. He controlled a part of Anatolia for the first few months of Selim’s reign. They met in battle on April 24, 1513, near Yenişehir, where Ahmed was defeated and arrested. He was executed shortly after.
