The Grand Mosque (Ulu Mosque-Bursa)

The Grand Mosque was built between 1396 and 1399, designed and built by architect Ali Neccar. The mosque is situated in the center of the city, with its historical bazaars. It is one of the first major monuments of Ottoman architecture made with the kundekari technique (a traditional geometrical decoration technique) and a great sample of Ottoman wood carving art. It was severely damaged by the fires; Timur (Tamerlane), after his great victory at the Battle of Ankara in 1402, first tried to fire it, then the Qaramanid ruler Mehmed Bey in 1412. However, it was restored in 1889 and recently in 2009. Today, it is one of the first destinations in Bursa for travelers.