Traveling around Turkiye is simply the best. This country is set up to be hospitable to travelers thanks to unique regional culture, easy smiles from the locals, and affordable transportation. I chose Bursa and İznik as destinations for the travel planned for my aunt and I. Both spots are former capitals of the Ottoman state and easily reachable within a few hours from Istanbul via bus.

Bursa was up first, the fourth largest city in Turkiye. Known originally for its textiles of silk and lace, Bursa is today the center of the Turkish automobile manufacturing industry. Mountains hug the city to the southeast and green space can be found throughout the city. Incredibly, human settlement has been present in the region since 5200BC. Wishing to stay within Bursa’s historic center, I located an Airbnb in a restored Ottoman home. The property sat on the hillside just above the historic Ottoman city walls.

Our spacious abode turned out to be a stroke of luck. As we were in town on the first day of bayram (Eid), most Turks were at home celebrating the holiday with family. It’s always difficult to tell what will be closed and what will be open on holidays in Turkey.

Hearing lots of foot traffic outside our home, we ventured out midday to see what the locals and tourists were up to. We sampled some baklava at a local cafe – it was the “sugar” eid, after all – and confirmed that the marketplace and historic sights were closed for the holiday.

Luckily, we had ventured out the night before to see the open air market, the Grand Bazaar, and the Ulu Cami (Grand Mosque of Bursa). Here is Suz enjoying her Instagram moment with the foothills of Uludag in the distance.

The Ulu Cami was built in the historic Ottoman Era but reads very contemporary. Reminiscient of the Eski Cami in Edirne, the walls featured calligraphic graffiti inside of the mosque (above, left). The effect was stunning. Children hollered at they raced around the carpeted floors and people sat in groups talking softly. I enjoyed Bursa and would love to return someday, particularly to explore the mountains surrounding the city.

Our second stop was İznik. Once known as Nicaea, the town is known as birthplace of the Nicene Creed (325AD). The town has also long been considered to be the center of ceramics in Turkey. Known for producing the 20,000 ceramic tiles which adorn the ceiling of Istanbul’s Blue Mosque, İznik today draws tourists with its ceramic studios, mosques, and lakeside location. The vibe here is similar to that of coastal southwest Turkey with less alcohol on offer (taps seem to dry up as you move into the middle/eastern regions of the country).

The whole town was walkable from our hotel by the waterfront. Having arrived from Bursa by Uber on the early side, the holiday mentality provided us the chance to look around before the crowds arrived.

Most of the ceramic shops and studios fall along the main tree-lined street (above, left). The road caps off at the İznik Castle Walls (above, right). Many modest local homes are enmeshed within the fortress walls which ring the downtown.

I was excited to find that the Turkish Islamic Arts Museum was open, despite the holiday. Located just across from the Green Mosque, the museum outlines the history of ceramics, textiles, and metal within the region in perfect bite-sized pieces – no more than 30 minutes needed to take it all in. İznik also features it’s own Hagia Sophia, a gorgeous Byzantine Church with origins dating back to the 4th century. The church is now a working mosque and I found the oculus and the stadium seating intriguing.

Suz and I had fun exploring the many shops featuring ceramics throughout the downtown. We happened upon a few with original ceramic designs (one working with terracotta instead of porcelain) and spoke to a few of artists themselves. Other shops featured pottery made from molds, which could be equally charming.

Before we knew it, the time had come to return to Istanbul. Soon Suz was back in Maine with her beloved pups and I returned to school to finish my final semester in Turkey. I’m so glad we could have this time together and explore more of what Turkey has to offer, outside the big city of Istanbul. As always, our days by the lake went too fast 🙂