Bursa Province

Bursa is a lovely city in northwestern Turkey and the seat of Bursa Province. With a population of 2,550,645 (2009), it is Turkey's fourth largest city, as well as one of the most industrialized and culturally charged metropolitan centers in the country. Bursa was the first major and second overall capital of the Ottoman State between 1335 and 1363. The city was referred to as ''Hüdavendigar'' (meaning "God's gift") during the Ottoman period, while a more recent nickname is ''Yeşil Bursa'' (meaning "Green Bursa") in reference to the parks and gardens located across its urban fabric, as well as to the vast and richly varied forests of the surrounding region. The ski resort of Mount Uludağ towers over it.