Bursa

Another very interesting place to visit near Istanbul is Bursa, the fifth biggest city in Turkey. The city derives its name from its founder Prusias, and came under Roman and Byzantine rule before falling to Orhan Gazi in 1326, thus becoming the first capital city of the Ottoman Empire.

Bursa lies on the lower slopes of Uludağ (Mount Olympos of Mysia), which houses the most popular ski-resort in Turkey.