The Marmara Region - Turkey with Your Family: From Bustling Bazaars to Historic Sites - page 92

could easily spend a few hours
here admiring the countryside,
taking a picnic, playing a few
games and then, perhaps, heading
off to nearby Sögüt to see the
life-size busts of famous figures
from Turkey's history, including
Ertu g rul Gazi (1198 - 1281). A
nearby museum, the Sögüt
Museum ( b [phone] ),
tells their story.

Turkish Islamic Art Museum
(see p. 109). While these lavishly
presented buildings are worth
visiting, they may be a little on
the dull side for your lively
youngsters, so be sure to visit
Koza Park (see p. 101) too,
where they can play and use up
some energy; it's located not far
from Cumhuriyet Square, the
area famed for Bursa's silk trade.
The park has lots of restaurants
and cafés, picnic spots and play
areas. From here it's a short walk
to the bazaar, so be sure to take
some time to haggle for some
toys or jewellery and other sou-
venirs to take home. Not far
from the city centre, the coun-
try's first winter ski resort (see
p. 110) built on Uluda g
Mountain soars into the air just
south of the city.

Bursa

The city of Bursa, one of the
largest in this region of Turkey,
lies in the foothills of the spec-
tacular Uluda g Mountain in the
Uludag National Park (see
p. 102). It is a city with
immense history dating from
pre-Roman times through the
Byzantine era to the 14th cen-
tury when it became the first
capital city of the Ottoman
Empire. Today, it is characterised
by its wonderful gardens and
parkland areas, interspersed by
lavish Ottoman buildings and
surrounded by plains full of fruit
trees - Bursa is famous for its
juicy peaches, so be sure to buy
plenty. Walking around the city,
look out for the Ye @ il Camii or
the Green Mosque as it is
known, and the Green Tomb ,
otherwise known as the Ye @ il
Türbe. In the centre of the city,
you'll also find the Magnificent
Mosque or the Ulu Cami, the
Emir Sultan Mosque and the
Yildirim Beyazit Mosque to visit
too, along with the fascinating
Bursa Archaeological Museum ,
the Iznik Museum and the

Çanakkale

The city of Çanakkale offers
plenty of activities for families.
For instance, there's the impres-
sive Çanakkale Archaeological
Museum (see p. 107) with a dis-
play of miniature figurines and
early examples of children's toys
among its exhibits, and the
National Park of Gelibolu
Peninsula (see p. 102) where
children can play among the
parkland and beach areas
(although it should be remem-
bered that this park is a resting-
place for soldiers who died in
the 1915-16 Gallipoli battle). I
also recommend visiting the
15th-century Çimenlik Fortress
where a small military museum

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