This mosque was built in 1339, just 13 years after the conquest of the city by the Orhan, son of Osman who captured Bursa and made it the first Ottoman capital. The mosque has been repeatedly restored. It has a T-form ground plan.

On the picture: the two large domes of the prayer hall, covering the south aisle where the mihrab is (on the lower part of the picture) and the adjacent central room, which is well lit by eight windows placed in the drum carrying the dome. The painted decoration is called ‘kalem işi’ (= work of the pen/paintbrush), because it is inspired on the geometric or stylised ornamentations used by Ottoman calligraphers to illuminate books. These murals are a recent restoration, executed in late-Ottoman style, which mixes 16th-17th century classic design with 19th century Turkish ‘Baroque’, influenced by European Neo-Classicism.

Correspondent: J.M.Criel, Antwerpen.
Source: ‘Vakıf Abideler ve eski Eserler (volume III)’ - Vakıflar Genel Müdürlüğü, Ankara 1983