Two Days in Bursa and İznik

Bursa, an easy trip from Istanbul across the Sea of Marmara, was the first capital of the Ottoman state, and its early mosques and tombs are listed by UNESCO together with the village of Cumalıkızık. İznik, about an hour and a quarter away by road on the shore of a lake, is the ancient city of Nicaea. This route has you sleep in Bursa and make a day trip to İznik, by car or on one of the buses from Bursa's main bus station (otogar). In Bursa the historic core runs east to west, and day one follows it in that direction, on foot with one or two short taxi rides.

Day 1

Start in the eastern district of Yeşil. The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art occupies the madrasa, or theological college, of the Green Complex built for Sultan Mehmed I. Tiles, manuscripts, metalwork and woodwork fill the rooms around an arcaded courtyard; an hour is enough. Next door is the Green Mosque, and across the road the Green Tomb. Neither is a separate entry in our data, but their tilework makes more sense after the museum. Women need a headscarf in the mosque, and everyone should cover shoulders and knees.

Walk down to Heykel, the square at the centre of the modern city. The Bursa City Museum, in the old courthouse, covers the city's history, its crafts and everyday life; allow an hour. From here the bazaar quarter with the Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami) and the Koza Han, the old silk market, is a few minutes' walk away and a good place for lunch.

In the afternoon go west to Muradiye; the road climbs, so a taxi is practical. The Ottoman House Museum is a three-storey timber house from the seventeenth century, directly opposite the Muradiye Complex. The house takes half an hour. Give most of your time to the complex's garden, where members of the Ottoman dynasty are buried in a group of domed tombs. Quiet and modest dress are expected there too.

Day 2

Drive or take the bus to İznik in the morning. The First Council of Nicaea met here in 325, and the Ottomans briefly used the town as their capital. Begin at the İznik Museum, whose new building opened in 2023 and shows archaeological finds from the town and the surrounding area. Allow an hour and a half.

Then walk the old town of Nicaea, still enclosed by its walls. Of the four main gates, the Istanbul Gate and the Lefke Gate are the best preserved. In the centre stands Hagia Sophia, the church where the Seventh Ecumenical Council met in 787, now used as a mosque. The Roman theatre is also within walking distance. Distances inside the walls are short and flat, but there is little shade at midday.

Finish in the east of the town at the İznik Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, housed in the Nilüfer Hatun Imaret, a former public kitchen opposite İznik's own Green Mosque; the collection includes examples of İznik tiles. Before heading back, the lakeshore is a good place to wait for sunset.

Practical notes

Some museums close one day a week; check the hours on each museum page. The Müzekart, the Turkish state museum pass, may be valid at the state-run museums; confirm on the official list. See the Bursa page for the rest of the province. Coming from Istanbul, this route follows on naturally from three days in Istanbul.