Bursa was the first capital of the Ottomans, and the Hüdavendigar Mosque in the hot-spring suburb of Çekirge is one of the earliest great buildings of the dynasty. Murad I, who conquered large parts of Thrace and the Balkans in the fourteenth century, took the title Hüdavendigâr, meaning sovereign, and the mosque complex that carries the name was built in the second half of that century. It has an unusual plan, with an upper floor that served as a school, and the shapes already show a style that would grow into the classical Ottoman mosque.
Çekirge has been known for its thermal baths since Roman times, and the water that flows from the slopes of Uludağ, the mountain behind the city, is still used in bathhouses that range from simple to ornate. A soak after a day on the road, in a marble hall with warm water running over the stone, is a fine way to end the day. In the city centre below, the Ulu Cami, the Great Mosque of 1399, has twenty domes and a fountain inside, and the Green Mosque and Green Tomb are famous for their blue-green tiles. The old market quarter near the Koza Han, a caravanserai once devoted to the silk trade, is the place to buy silk scarves and towels.
For riders, Bursa is a big, hilly city of more than a million, and traffic is heavy, with narrow streets near the old bazaars and steep slopes. The road up to Uludağ climbs through forest, with plenty of bends, to the ski resort at around 1,800 metres, and in summer it is a cool escape. Surfaces are generally good, although tram lines and cobbles in the old centre can be slippery in rain. Park the bike outside the market quarter and walk.
Fuel is easy everywhere. Bursa is also the home of İskender kebab, thin slices of lamb on bread with tomato sauce and melted butter, invented here in the nineteenth century, and candied chestnuts, kestane şekeri, are the local sweet. The peaches and the silk are famous too.
Spring, when the blossom is out and Uludağ still has snow on its summit, gives the best view.