1884 Perron map BURSA (BRUSA), TURKEY (#96) |
Nice small map titled Brousse, from wood engraving with fine detail and clear impression, nice hand coloring. Overall size approx. 20.5 x 16 cm, image size approx. 12.5 x 10 cm. From La Nouvelle Géographie universelle, la terre et les hommes, 19 vol. (1875-94), great work of Elisee Reclus. Cartographer is Charles Perron.
Bursa
formerly Brusa, original name Prusa,
city, northwestern Turkey, along the northern foothills of Ulu Dağ (the ancient
Mysian Olympus). Probably founded by a Bithynian king in the 3rd century BC, it
prospered during Byzantine times after the emperor Justinian I (reigned AD
527–565) built a palace there. The city first fell to the Seljuq Turks at the
end of the 11th century, but, beginning with the First Crusade in 1096, it
changed hands several times. After the sack of Constantinople (Istanbul) by
crusaders in 1204, it served as a centre of Byzantine resistance. The Ottomans
took it in the 1320s and made it their first great capital; but Timur
(Tamerlane) sacked the city in 1402, and, when the Ottomans recovered their
territory, they relocated their capital, first to Edirne (1413) and later to
Constantinople (1458). Bursa, nevertheless, expanded and prospered under Ottoman
rule.
Set among orchards watered by plentiful mountain streams, Bursa is a city of
brightly coloured houses and winding streets dotted with fountains. It retains
its Ottoman flavour and contains some of the outstanding examples of Ottoman
architecture. Among its mosques, Ulu Mosque (1421) is a vast building with 20
domes, noted for the variety and fineness of its calligraphic ornamentation.
Yeşil Mosque (1421) marked the beginning of a purely Turkish style; it includes
a theological college, library, and ablution fountain. Nearby is the Yeşil
Mausoleum, containing the tomb of Sultan Mehmed I. The Muradiye Mosque (15th
century) is surrounded by the tombs of sultans and their families. On a terrace
overlooking the city are the tombs of Osman I, founder of the Ottoman dynasty,
and his son Orhan. A 15th-century theological school houses the city's
archaeological museum. Bursa's several baths, fed by thermal springs famous in
Roman times, include medieval structures that incorporated material from
Justinian's imperial baths from the 6th century.
Bursa's silk industry has a long heritage; the city was a centre of silk trade
in the 15th century and by the 17th century was famous in Europe and Asia for
its silk textiles, which are still produced. Other industries include cotton and
woolen textiles, canned foods and dairy products, and machinery. Bursa is the
site of Bursa University (1975) and is linked by air with Istanbul. It has long
been a favourite tourist centre. Pop. (2005) urban agglom., 1,414,000.