TP21: Ulu Camii - The Grand Masjid of Bursa

Ulu Cami or the Grand Masjid is the largest masjid in Bursa and a landmark of early Ottoman architecture, which carried many elements from the Seljuk architecture. Ordered by Sultan Bayezid I, the Masjid was designed and built by architect Ali Neccar in 1396–1400.
This design and built phrase reminded me about one of my successful brother-in-laws, Yayasan Yusuf tycoon, Zailan Yusop, who was actually the first in our family visited Turkey more than 20 years ago. His fingerprints could be seen everywhere in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei’s prominent buildings, Residences of VIPs and not to forget the El Bait El Allah – the Masjid. He international networking has helped him to expand his business wings broader. Keep it up dude!
The Masjid is a large and rectangular building, with twenty domes that are arranged in four rows of five, and are supported by twelve columns. The twenty domes were built instead of the twenty separate Masjid which Sultan Bayezid I had promised for winning the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396. It has two minarets.
Inside the mosque there are 192 monumental wall inscriptions written by the famous calligraphers of that period. There is also a fountain where worshipers can perform ritual ablutions before; the dome over the fountain is capped by a skylight that creates a soft, serene light below, thus playing an important role in the illumination of the large building. This fountain, according to Enil, was once a place of a poor woman. It is said that she did not want to leave or give way her place for the building of this Masjid, however, as a compromised; she reached a mutual agreement with the Sultan on the building of the fountain.

The horizontally spacious and dimly lit interior is designed to feel peaceful and contemplative. The subdivisions of space formed by multiple domes and pillars create a sense of privacy and even intimacy. Thus, created a vertical emphasis, which is intended to be more overwhelming; in order to convey the divine power of Allah swt.This atmosphere contrasts with the later Ottoman Masjid.