Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the cradle of the Ottoman Empire

Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the cradle of the Ottoman Empire
UNESCO world heritage
Cumalıkızık
National territory:	Turkey
Type:	Culture
Criteria :	(i), (ii), (iv), (vi)
Surface:	27,467 ha
Buffer zone:	249,266 ha
Reference No .:	1452
UNESCO region :	Europe and North America
History of enrollment
Enrollment:	2014  (session 38)

Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the cradle of the Ottoman Empire is the title of a serial UNESCO World Heritage Site in Turkey , which includes eight selected sites in Bursa including the nearby village of Cumalıkızık, which have been under protection since 2014. The old town of Aleppo is best comparable among the various world heritage sites in the former Ottoman Empire .

description

The eight sites in the Marmara region illustrate the urban and rural living space of the Ottoman Empire that emerged in the 14th century. The social and economic organization of the new capital Bursa is represented by hane , mosques and other religious institutions, public baths, a poor kitchen and the tomb of the dynasty founder Orhan Gazi . The village of Cumalıkızık (about 8 kilometers east of the center of Bursa) illustrates how the capital was supplied with essential goods through its hinterland.

The severe earthquake of 1855 marked a turning point in the city's history. The reconstruction followed the principle that Bursa was the model of an Ottoman city, accordingly the reconstruction of damaged buildings was based on the early Ottoman period. ICOMOS weighted these construction measures in the 19th century and the repairs that were necessary after the unrest of 1922 more strongly for the current appearance of Bursa than the Turkish government had taken these factors into account in the nomination as UNESCO World Heritage. ICOMOS also stated that the nomination as serial world heritage entails restrictions, since the ruling foundations of all the Ottoman kills in the city were emphasized and the residential developments, the road network and the public buildings were not taken into account.

Orhan Gazi Külliye and surroundings

This building complex was built outside the Byzantine citadel as early as 1339 and is therefore the core of the Ottoman city. It originally consisted of a mosque, a religious school ( madrasa ), a public kitchen ( Imaret ) and a public bathhouse ( hammam ) in the vicinity of a Han, in which various economic activities were carried out. The madrasa and kitchen have not been preserved; they have been replaced by a public building (town hall). The Orhan Mosque as the oldest part of the ensemble shows typical features of early Ottoman architecture . Until 1936, all of the buildings in this complex belonged to a charitable religious foundation ( Waqf ), but after that a large part went into private ownership (67%) and 29% remained with the foundation.

Graves of Osman and Orhan Gazi

Orhan Gazi (Orhan I) conquered the byzantine city of Prusa in 1326. He is buried in Bursa with his father Osman I. The current mausoleum, however, dates from 1863 and was rebuilt after the previous Ottoman building was destroyed in the earthquake of 1855.

Hüdavendigar building ensemble (Murad I.)

See also : Hüdavendigar Mosque

Murad I had this Külliye built in 1363 and thus gave the impetus for the city to be expanded to the west. The mosque and religious school share a common building here, with the madrasa on the upper floor. The decoration shows Byzantine influence. In place of the public kitchen destroyed in the earthquake of 1855 there is a cultural center. In this complex, most of the buildings still belong to the Waqf Foundation (58%) and only 33% are privately owned.

Eskı Kaplıca, an old Turkish bath house

The exact year of construction of this bathhouse is unknown, but it is believed that it was built on the site of a Byzantine bath during the Murad I government. Fundamentally different from other Turkish baths, it shows the architecture of the Byzantine bathhouse.

Yıldırım building ensemble (Bayezid I.)

Yıldırım-Külliye

The most impressive Ottoman building complex in Bursa was started in 1390. It was an important educational institution and was located on the eastern edge of the early Ottoman city. The hospital that is part of this complex has been restored and is used as an eye clinic according to its original function. Except for the kitchen, the entire Külliye ensemble has been preserved here. The Waqf Foundation owns a particularly large part of the buildings with 73%.

Yeşil building ensemble (Mehmed I.)

This complex was started in 1419 and in a sense represents a new beginning under the rule of Mehmed I after Timur inflicted a heavy defeat on the Ottoman Empire in 1402. The facade of the so-called Green Mosque is decorated with glazed bricks. While the mosque is in use for its intended purpose and the public kitchen (Imaret) still serves food, other buildings have been converted: the bathhouse is now a studio and the madrasa a museum for Turkish-Islamic art. The Waqf Foundation owns only 10% of this building complex, while the state share is higher than usual at 17%; most of the buildings (66%) are privately owned.

Muradiye building ensemble (Murad II.)

Muradiye tombs

Construction of the youngest Ottoman ensemble began in 1426. A cemetery ( hazire ) for twelve members of the ruling family is unusual here . Mosque and tombs were restored at the time of the World Heritage nomination; other parts of the building complex had been given new functions. The madrasa is now a pharmacy, the kitchen a restaurant and the bathhouse a center for people with disabilities. The largest part of the buildings, 74%, are privately owned, only 13% have been left to a religious foundation.

Cumalıkızık, a village and its surroundings

A number of villages around Bursa were founded by a pious foundation of the ruler ( Waqf ); Cumalıkızık is the only surviving example today. The village complex gives the best impression of what a village could have looked like in the early Ottoman period. According to ICOMOS, the nomination of this historic village as a World Heritage Site cannot make any particular contribution to understanding the interaction between town and country in Ottoman times.

World Heritage Criteria

Criterion I.

Bursa is a well-planned and novel urban complex of the first Ottoman rulers: the Ahi brotherhood was active in economic life, while Külliyen provided the public infrastructure.

Criterion II

Bursa was a model for the layout of later Ottoman cities. This particularly affected the infrastructure of a new town outside the walls of existing cities, in which non-urban parts of the population found living space. The new town had a specifically Ottoman character, but Byzantine, Seljuk, Arabic and Persian elements can also be seen in the architecture.

Criterion IV

In Bursa, an innovative, multifunctional building was developed on the floor plan of the "upside down T". It appears again and again in various modifications in the city map, creating the typical “Bursa style”.

Criterion VI

Bursa is associated with historical events in Ottoman history, but legends and myths have also attached themselves to this city. Even after the conquest of Constantinople , Bursa retained the role of a spiritual capital, which is why Ottoman rulers were buried here.

Integrity and authenticity

The eight serial world heritage sites were selected in such a way that, in the opinion of the Turkish government as applicant, they provide a complete picture of how an Ottoman city works.

The authenticity was damaged by the earthquake of 1855 and the restorations that were necessary afterwards. Individual components of the Külliye building ensemble, which shaped the cityscape of Bursa, were lost. However, some Külliyen perform important social, cultural and religious functions for the population of Bursa up to the present day.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} ICOMOS: Bursa and Cumalıkızık (Turkey) No 1452. p. 270 , accessed on November 9, 2018 . 
2. ↑ ICOMOS: Bursa and Cumalıkızık (Turkey) No 1452. p. 272 , accessed on November 9, 2018 . 
3. ↑ ^{a b} ICOMOS: Bursa and Cumalıkızık (Turkey) No 1452. p. 273 , accessed on November 9, 2018 . 
4. ↑ ^{a b c d e} ICOMOS: Bursa and Cumalıkızık (Turkey) No 1452. p. 276 , accessed on November 9, 2018 . 
5. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} ICOMOS: Bursa and Cumalıkızık (Turkey) No 1452. p. 271 , accessed on November 9, 2018 .