Bursa

Bursa lies on the slopes of Mount Uludağ in the southern Marmara region. In the early 14th century it became the first capital of the Ottoman Empire. Since 2014 the old centre and nearby Cumalıkızık have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Start at Ulu Cami, the Grand Mosque built for Sultan Bayezid I in the late 1390s. Its prayer hall has 20 domes and a central fountain. Next door, the Koza Han, a silk caravanserai of 1491, still has silk shops and tea gardens. East of the centre, the Green Mosque and Sultan Mehmed I's Green Tomb are known for blue and green tiles.

Cumalıkızık, about 10 km east, was founded in the early Ottoman period as an endowment village. Its cobbled streets are closed to cars; go early, when it is quieter. Allow a full day for both. Buses and ferries run daily from Istanbul. The Green Tomb stands on a hill, so expect a short climb.