Mosque of Mehmed I

Detail of the mihrab (points towards Mecca) in the south prayer hall and on the qibla wall; The several important buildings preserved from the early Ottoman period exemplify the Ottoman pattern of urbanization whereby sultans successively built architectural complexes (kulliye) in unurbanized parts of the city, which then became the nuclei of new quarters. The city was also an international centre for the silk and textile trade...Another urban nucleus on the east side of [Bursa] is centred around the Green complex (Turkish: yesil; 1412-1424) of Mehmed I. It comprises a mosque, tomb, madrasa, kitchen and bath and takes its name from its superb decoration in cuerda seca tile. The mosque [restored after an earthquake in 1855] is similar in plan to that of Bayezid but has second-storey lodges on the north for the sultan and his family. The magnificent tiles in the mihrab are signed by the Masters of Tabriz. The octagonal tomb (Yesil Turbe, restored) also has rich decoration, including a tiled mihrab and cenotaph and elaborately carved doors. The madrasa, which houses a collection of Turkish and Islamic art, consists of a courtyard enclosed by cells on three sides and a domed hall on the fourth. Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.groveart.com/ (accessed 1/24/2008