Description of the attraction
The Ulu Jami Mosque, or the Great Mosque, was built in Bursa during the reign of Bayazid I Yildirim (Lightning). Having triumphantly defeated the troops of the crusaders in the battle of Nikopol on the Danube, the sultan subdued Bosnia, conquered Bulgaria, forced Wallachia to pay tribute and established a protectorate over Byzantium. According to legend, before the battle, Bayezid I vowed to build 20 mosques in case of his victory, but, having won, he decided that one would be enough, but with 20 domes. The construction of the mosque lasted four years and was completed in 1400.
The mosque is located in the very center of the Old City, near the bazaar. It was the very first multi-domed structure in the Ottoman Empire, made in a beautiful Arabian style. Until now, Ulu Jami - the creation of the architect Ali Nejar - serves as a model for the construction of mosques throughout the country. There is everything that should be found in Ottoman mosques - a fountain for religious ablutions, a mihrab, a minbar, carpets on the floor and inscriptions from the Koran on the walls.
Ulu Jami was damaged several times. This happened for the first time during the invasion of Timur. Later, the building was badly damaged as a result of the earthquake of 1855, and the French architect Leon Parville was engaged in its restoration. It was he who introduced into early Ottoman architecture elements of the Baroque unusual for it, which were reflected in the design of calligraphic inscriptions and ornaments of the tops of minarets. Unfortunately, the fire of 1889 damaged the mosque again, but now it has been restored.
The base of the mosque is made in the form of a rectangle with sides of 63 and 50 meters. The building of the mosque includes 30 support pylons: 18 of them are located within the walls of the mosque and 12 inside the structure. These majestic pillars support the mighty twenty domes of the mosque. The building has three entrances (north, east and west), and in the center of the hall there is an unusual marble fountain with a pool for ritual ablutions. It consists of three huge bowls, one above the other and illuminated from a round window in the dome above it. The interior of the mosque is decorated with 192 huge calligraphic inscriptions in divan and kufi styles, listing all 99 names of Allah. The central gate of the mosque is made without the use of nails. They are made of walnut and are considered a masterpiece in woodworking. Thanks to the large skylight dome, there is good illumination inside the building.
The majestic Ulu Jami Mosque, with an area of 5000 square meters, remains the most monumental building in Bursa to this day. Due to the unusual interior decorations and original samples of woodcarving, Ulu Jami is rightfully considered one of the most interesting historical monuments in Turkey.
