Bursa is a large city in the Southern Marmara region of Turkey, 20 km inland from the Marmara coast. It's the country's fourth-largest city, with a population of 2,161,990 in 2021, and with another million living in the wider metro area. It's mostly modern, industrial and concrete-ridden; earning its living from textiles, agricultural produce and the automobile industry. However, it has a lot to offer for history buffs as the first capital of the Ottoman Empire and one of the end destinations of the Silk Road.
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Prusa, the kernel of present-day Bursa, was named for Prusias king of Bithynia, who laid its foundation stone in 202 BC. This was fortified into a walled citadel on the ridge of Tophane, controlling the valley trade routes. The Romans annexed Bithynia in 74 BC, and they especially enjoyed the thermal springs of Çekirge just west of Prusa - so it was a tourist resort even in those days. Byzantium (from 330 AD called Constantinople) became the metropolis of their eastern empire, continuing long after Rome itself fell. By 1300 AD both the Byzantine Empire and their eastern rivals the Seljuks were in terminal decline, and a patchwork of independent territories and warlords appeared.
There is an extensive bus and dolmuş network. The dolmuşes in Bursa look like standard white cars with a sign on the roof, rather than minibuses. More about the dolmuş as a transport option can be found in the Wikivoyage articles for other Turkish cities, but it is akin to the post-Soviet marshrutka and is a very convenient and cheap way of navigating the city if you can master some very basic Turkish. Bursaray is the city metro. It's a standard-gauge railway running east-west: to the west it forks for the University, and northwest for Emek where buses from the ferry ports will drop you.
Most museums are branches of Bursa Müze and are free, but closed Monday. 1 Grand Mosque (Ulu Camii), Ulucami Cd 2. This was built by Sultan Beyazid and completed in 1399. He then suffered a calamitous defeat by Timur, who wrecked it, and later the Karamansids wrecked it some more. It was rebuilt then and as needed in later years, especially after the earthquake of 1855, keeping to the original design - so it more resembles its Seljuk predecessors of Anatolia than later Ottoman creations such as the Blue Mosque of Istanbul. Ulu Camii is most renowned for the striking calligraphic panels that adorn its walls and columns, and the fountain within it.
Hamams: The hamam/thermal baths are a staple of Turkish culture, and some of the best and most storied ones in the entire country can be found in Bursa. The fault line that runs beneath the city is a source of geothermal mineral springs, which emerge in the western district of Çekirge. Most flow at 80°C and are heavily charged with sulphur and iron. A secondary group are at 38°-57°C, contain magnesium and have clear water, and these are known as "silver springs". They've been enjoyed since ancient times but the spa facilities are modern, built over the Roman and early Ottoman structures.
Bursa is widely considered the birthplace of döner kebap, a vertically-rotated column of stacked lamb meat cut into thin, juicy slices that is about as iconic as pizza or sushi worldwide. By far the best-known local specialty is the İskender kebap, an indulgent dish featuring cuts of finely roasted döner meat and rich tomato sauce on a bed of broth-soaked pita bread, topped with yogurt and sizzling butter. You cannot visit Bursa and leave without trying the dish, considered the best Turkish cuisine has to offer by many. However, Bursa doesn't lack in other food options.
Bursa doesn't have many stand-alone bars, but one is Biraport at Kurşunlu Sk 13, by Tahtakale Gate. They have TV sport and are open nightly to 02:00. For tea or Turkish coffee aim for a place with atmosphere, such as Koza Han, or the terrace at Tophane.
Bursa is a safe city. Take usual care with traffic and valuables.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Oct, Bursa typically sees ~20°C daytime highs and 10 rainy days.
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