Siege of Bursa

Siege of Bursa
Siege of Bursa
Part of the Byzantine-Ottoman wars

Gate of Bursa castle Date 1317/20-April 6, 1326

Location Prusa (modern-day Bursa, Turkey) Result Ottoman victory

Belligerents
Byzantine Empire Ottoman Beylik (Kay tribe)

Commanders and leaders

Saroz Osman I Orhan I Kse Mihal

The Siege of Bursa (also called Prusa, Prousa, Brusa or Broussa) occurred from 1317/20 until the capture on 6 April 1326, when the Ottomans deployed a bold plan to seize Prusa (modern-day Bursa, Turkey). The Ottomans had not captured a city before; the lack of expertise and adequate siege equipment at this stage of the war meant that the city fell only after six or nine years. According to some sources Osman I died of natural causes just before the fall of the city, while others suggest that he lived long enough to hear about the victory on his death-bed and was buried in Bursa afterwards.

Aftermath
After the fall of the city, his son and successor Orhan made Bursa the first official Ottoman capital and it remained so until 1366, when Edirne became the new capital. As a result, Bursa holds a special place in Ottoman history as their founding city, and also as the birthplace of Ottoman architecture (Bursa Grand Mosque (1399), Bayezid I Mosque (1395), Hdavendigar Mosque (1385) and Yeil Mosque (1421)). During his reign Orhan encouraged urban growth trough the construction of buildings such as imarets, hammams, mosques, inns and caravanserais, and he also build a mosque and a medrese in what is now known as the Hisar district, and after his death was buried there in his trbe (mausoleum) next to his father. The famous Muslim traveler Ibn Battuta who visited Bursa in 1331 was impressed by the sultan and found Bursa an enjoyable city "with fine bazaars and wide streets, surrounded on all sides by gardens and running springs."

Siege of Bursa

Importance
Paul K. Davis writes, "The capture of Brusa established Osman I (Othman) and his successors as the major power in Asia Minor, beginning the Ottoman Empire."[1]

References
[1] Paul K. Davis, 100 Decisive Battles from Ancient Times to the Present: The Worlds Major Battles and How They Shaped History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 151.

Article Sources and Contributors

Article Sources and Contributors

Siege of Bursa Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=582991971 Contributors: A Nobody, Alexander VIII, Courcelles, Cplakidas, Dimadick, DragonTiger23, English Bobby, Falep, Gabr-el, Hakan Kay, Hugo999, Jaraalbe, Llywrch, Lysandros, Nedim Ardoa, Nimetapoeg, Soheyl75, Takabeg, Trk Svarisi, Vegaswikian, Wardynska, 7 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

File:Bursa Kalesi 1.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Bursa_Kalesi_1.jpg License: GNU Free Documentation License Contributors: Original uploader was Citrat at tr.wikipedia File:Flag of Palaeologus Emperor.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_Palaeologus_Emperor.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Alkari, Cplakidas, Electionworld, Fry1989, Himasaram, Homo lupus, Mhmrodrigues, Peeperman, TFCforever, Wouterhagens, , 5 anonymous edits File:Flag of the Kayihan Khanate (c. 1326).svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_the_Kayihan_Khanate_(c._1326).svg License: Public domain Contributors: Uploaded as KayihanKhanate.png by Ingoman

License
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