The Green Mosque of Bursa was the first mosque we visited in Turkey. In its day it was perhaps the grandest mosque, but would later be outdone by the huge Blue Mosque built in Istanbul to rival Istanbul’s famous Hagia Sophia. Outside this mosque I saw the largest and oldest Sycamore trees I’d ever seen. Our Texas hill country Sycamores are but teenagers compared to the century old sycamores of Bursa.

David Garcia here stands in the “Poor Room” of the Green Mosque. The niches in the wall are for the poor pilgrims to place their shoes while here for prayer. They are also given some food to sustain them on their journey home. The prayer rugs each have a pointed end where the head goes facing Mecca in the East.

This is the only picture I took of our tour bus which took us from Kudasai to Istanbul. It is sitting on the street of Bursa outside the Green Mosque. In the background you can see the mountains that surround this large city. Also note the cobblestone walkway leading to the mosque and the red mushroom shaped obstacles that keep automobiles from entering the Green Mosque plaza.