Bursa

From Cannukale, we headed to Bursa and (after much struggle) found our way to a hotel in Bursa. Driving in Bursa was a less than pleasant experience. After much frustration, I found a local cop who offered to show me the way to the hotel. Once he started backing down the main street of Bursa in his patrol car, I had to frantically tell him that John was waiting for me up the street and we finally got directions and found our way to the hotel.

Since it was Saturday, we did a quick walkthrough of the Koza and Emir Hans. They are old caravanserais, now serving as shops and restaurants/bars (no alcohol, only tea and soda). The Koza Han was built in 1490 and is lively with silk dealers. In the center of the courtyard is a small mosque constructed by Yildrim Beyazie in 1493.

We walked through the city and found a wonderful little street called Sakarya Caddesi. The street is lined with mehanes” (taverns/restaurants) serving wine, beer and fresh fish. The street was once the main street of Bursa’s Jewish Quarter. Decades ago, a man named Arup Sikru opened a fish restaurant and it was so popular and successful that his descendants have gone into the business and there are now multiple restaurants with his name. The food was spectacular- fresh fish, cleaned and boned in front of your eyes.