When we reached Bürsa we went directly to the Green Mosque, so named for
the green tiles used to cover the Mausoleum that was built within the
complex. We learned that Mosques are usually not built alone but in
complexes with a mausoleum, school, or soup kitchen. After visiting
both the mausoleum and mosque we went to the center of the city and
visited the Grand Mosque. This one truly was grand and very large.
Every time I walk into a mosque I'm fascinated by the script. I think
it is so beautiful and really appreciate that they do not try to come up
with representations or figures of God. The timing of this trip could
not be more perfect too as I just finished reading The Shack (yes mom, I
finally did it! And I absolutely loved the book!) where God shows Mack
that there are many parts to God and that the Christian depiction of him
as a father is not necessarily a true depiction. I think that by
having a rule that there should be no depictions God can be whoever or
whatever you want and I love that! The other really fascinating thing about Mosques is that they change and each one is very different depending on when it was built, where it was built, and who built it. While there is always a dome and mehrab (depicts the direction to mecca) how that is constructed is very different. The call to prayer is mesmerizing when done properly and I have yet to get tired of hearing it. There is something to be said about how Turkey has been able to have both Christians and Muslims living within its territory peacefully for a long time now. Turkey has no national religion and does not show preference to either one but allows them to live harmoniously in their state. I think this is something the United States should look at carefully and learn from the Turks for they seem to have it right. I know that many of you may be worried about me here, but I can assure you that I am very safe and have not felt threatened at all. As you can see we are covered in the Mosques and Bürsa was a much more conservative muslim city, but I only had to cover my head and shoulders out of respect to their culture in holy places and I haven't had any problems interacting with the turks. While I do expect the turmoil to increase and I probably will witness some protests, I understand where the protests normally are held and I know to stay away from those areas (they are no where near me). If anything this is a truly exciting time to be in the Middle East learning and exploring a country with a muslim influence. The world is shrinking in size as communication becomes much more accessible and it is time that we learn to work with each other not against.
Anyways back to Bürsa. After a long day of looking and learning about Mosques and the many early Ottoman rulers buried in the city, we headed to our hotel which we were excited to hear had a turkish bath (hamum). The bath is actually the place and environment in which people go and steam, bath, and scrub themselves. I have come to the realization with my few trips abroad that every other culture outside the US is VERY comfortable with their bodies. Lets just say the women in the bath were very comfortable and for us Americans that was quit a shock and a little jarring. I chose to get a massage and lets just say it was more of a rub down than a massage. But in the end it was an experience and I can say that I have been to a turkish bath.
The following day was filled with more Mausoleums and Mosques BUT the
highlight has to be the amazing Turkish village Brunch that we had. Everything was hand made and fresh from the village- the bread, the cheese, the jams, the tea, eggs, etc. It was amazing and SO SO SO good. As you can see nothing would be complete without Turkish Coffee. It is a lot like drinking a shot of espresso but they add the sugar in for you and it is very strong. Each time I have had it, it has been delicious. Another tradition I've really gotten into is they like to have a small glass of hot tea at the end of every meal. It's delicious and really a great way to end a meal. 
The next day it was time to head back to Istanbul, but first we would stop in Iznik. Set on a beautiful lake Iznik has a very important history. It was originally Hellenistic and over time became taken over by turks and the Ottomans. It was the takeover of this city by the Ottomans that set off an alarm in Rome and began the period of crusades. It was a quaint town with the original city walls still there (in ruins of course) and even a roman theater.
We began our stop here at the Hague Sofia. Did you know that Sofia means Wisdom and that Hague is Divine there for when things are called this it does not mean church or place of worship but where the Divine wisdom is located. This Hague Sofia began as a Basilica, then transformed into a Mosque, then a museum, and finally it has been converted back into a mosque. It was a really fascinating example of this process and a very old example as you can see. We learned that in the western part of Turkey this process of converting churches into mosques is very common as the western part of the state was taken over by the Romans and was quit Christian before the Ottomans took over. The rest of the day we visited another green mosque again so named for the tiles, had a beautiful fish lunch by the lake, and shopped in the local market for some tiles(Iznik was where the beautiful tiles that cover the blue mosque and other buildings in Istanbul) before heading back to Istanbul.
Below are some pictures of the Group! We had an awesome time in Bürsa and now most of us are off to Antalya for the week. I am expecting to have an amazing time and will keep you posted! Look forward to some crazy pics from the beaches of Turkey and even me Paragliding. But in the mean time know I'm safe and doing wonderfully.
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