Turkey Day 2: Bursa

Assalamualaykum,

18 December 2018

We are scheduled to go to Bursa on the second day. We left the Armada Hotel at the wee hour in the morning. We left at 5.30 am, before the call for the Fajr prayer. We need to leave early to avoid being caught in the traffic. Futhermore, Bursa is kilometers away from Istanbul. The hotel packed us the breakfast so that we can enjoy it during the journey. It is actually to compensate for the buffet breakfast that we are going to miss that morning.

We were checking the weather forecast just in case it is snowing in Bursa as it snows few days before. We were not that lucky as it is not snowing.

Along the way, the view was very beautiful. It will be a waste to sleep during the journey as we will miss the view. But the morning hours cannot fool the eyes. Many were dozed off to sleep on the bus. Ah yes, the buss were equipped with the wifi. So it keeps us in contact with the rest of the world.

The masjid

Turkish delicacies

The bus stop at what seems to be like an R&R in Malaysia for our fajr solat. The prayer room was clean and comfortable. It was freezing cold at that time. And Bursa is supposed to be colder than Istanbul. The R&R offers few shops and to the best of our liking, it has Starbucks too.

Starbucks anyone?

Enjoying hot Starbucks drinks in the cold weather on the wee morning sounds very comforting, isn't it?

Turkish delicacies

We did not miss the opportunity to try out some of the Turkish delicacies too. This is our first encounter with retail shopping on this trip and trying out some of the local dish is a must.

Some are like the puffs with fillings, but most of it are filos with various fillings. Mostly they are sweets delicacies.

Our next stop was Munira, house of baklava, and the famous Turkish delights. When we reach the shop, there are already buses lined up outside the shop. And don't be surprise to hear the shopkeepers greeting you in Bahasa Melayu. It just show how many Malaysians and Indonesians had been to this place. Communication is not a problem. They speak English too.

We were advised to get our items for Turkish delicacies here for souvenir as we might not have the opportunity to do it later. Therefore, it was like shop till you drop event with all the lovelies delights. Baklava? A must. I love it so much. All items bought from this shop were vacuum packed to preserve its freshness. It is very suitable for us who still had a long way to go, that is to Mecca and Medina the holy city.

Spices

Old Cami Masjid, Bursa

Here is another historical magnificent built, the Masjid Cami of Bursa. Enjoy devouring the beauty and awesome architecture of the masjid.

I like nature and this gigantic tree caught my eye

And .. I cannot resist the temptation to capture this on the lens. The man clad in his traditional costumes selling jewelries next to the gigantic tree. It is just a beautiful moment of the locals that must be captured.

A serenity. This fountain was placed in the middle of the mosque, where there is an opening for the rain to come down. The shower of rain will be collected into the fountain and be used for ablution.

I cannot resist the temptation to capture this on the lens. This faucet is so unique. It shows the ancient made.

Nearby the mosque is the souq, a market where they sell all kinds of souvenir that one can buy. Leather products are in vast too. Or you can sip a hot tea or turkish coffee from the stall there.