Green Mosque, Bursa

Lore & Background

The Green Mosque was commissioned by Sultan Mehmed I Çelebi after he reunified the Ottoman Empire following a struggle against his brothers. Construction began in 1412 and was completed in December 1419 or January 1420, supervised by vizier Hacı İvaz Pasha, a former commander under Mehmed I. Upon Mehmed I's death, his son and successor Murad II commissioned the Green Tomb within the complex, completed in May 1421. Decorative work continued after Mehmed I's death; a calligraphic inscription records that decoration was finished in August 1424 by Nakkas Ali bin Ilyas Ali, who is believed to have brought craftsmen called the 'Masters of Tabriz' to assist. An inscription on tiles around the mihrab is signed as the 'work of the masters of Tabriz,' reflecting Timurid influence. Another Persian inscription identifies Mehmed el-Mecnun as the artist who decorated the ceramics. Scholar Patricia Blessing notes that the exact roles of each person named remain uncertain due to unclear historical terminology.

Reader's Guide

The Green Mosque is significant as a landmark of early Ottoman architecture, representing the culmination of that style through its technical and aesthetic achievements. Its tile work, particularly the black-line tiles attributed to the Masters of Tabriz, demonstrates the influence of Timurid art on Ottoman design, a result of frequent invasions. The mosque survived damage from the 1855 Bursa earthquake and underwent extensive restorations planned by French architect Léon Parvillée beginning in 1863, during which the minarets were rebuilt and tile work restored. Later restorations occurred in 1941–1943 and 2010–2012. Since 2014, the mosque has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site encompassing historic Bursa. Today it is a popular tourist destination, valued for its architectural plan—an inverted T-shape with a central hall, iwans, and a marble fountain—and its diverse tile techniques and colors, including green, blue, turquoise, white, yellow, light purple, and dark purple.

Did You Know?

• The mosque's name comes from its green and blue interior tile decorations.
• Construction was supervised by vizier Hacı İvaz Pasha, who had been a commander under Sultan Mehmed I.
• The black-line tiles around the mihrab are signed as the 'work of the masters of Tabriz,' reflecting Timurid influence.
• The mosque was damaged in the 7.5 magnitude Bursa earthquake of 1855 and later restored by French architect Léon Parvillée.