Bursa Foundation Culture Museum

Bursa Waqf Culture Museum is an institution designed to connect visitors with the institutional structure, architectural manifestations, and social functions of the Ottoman waqf system. Bursa, as the first capital of the Ottoman State, was also a central hub in the formation of Ottoman waqf culture. Within the framework of Turkish-Islamic culture, waqfs—established with the aim of attaining divine pleasure—led to the construction of monumental structures such as caravanserais, bathhouses, madrasas, soup kitchens, libraries, and hospitals, while providing protection for people and animals in need.^【1】 The Bursa Waqf Culture Museum has been organized as a space displaying the material heritage of this culture.

The museum was opened to the public on 17 February 2017 by the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality. It is located within the Atatürk Congress and Culture Center (Merinos), as part of the "Museums Complex." The foundation and construction process of the museum was informed by detailed studies of historical Bursa waqf documents, which provided the basis for its content and design elements.

^{Museum Interior} (Bursa Müze)

The museum’s entrance area was designed after the portal of Koza Han, one of the Ottoman waqf monuments, and a replica of the door of the Green Tomb, crafted using the kündekari technique, has been installed at the entrance. The museum comprises fifteen sections, with transitions between them facilitated by Bursa’s characteristic arched stone walls that reflect the architectural texture of the period.

Information panels in the museum present the concept of the waqf in Islamic history, the development of waqf culture in Muslim Turkish states, the Haremeyn Waqfs, Sultan waqfs, and the historical waqf monuments of Bursa, all organized in chronological and thematic contexts. The functions of caravanserais, bathhouses, soup kitchens (imarets), libraries, madrasas, tombs, hospitals (darüşşifas), roads and bridges, charity stones, and tekkes and zaviyes are explained in detail.

In addition, miniature models of the Green Mosque, Bursa Grand Mosque, Muradiye Madrasa, Koza Han, and Irgandı Bridge are exhibited, alongside scale models of birdhouses that illustrate the importance accorded to animals in Ottoman civil architecture.^【2】 The museum also features sectional reconstructions of architectural elements such as fountains, bathhouses, and soup kitchens.

Approximately 500 distinct artifacts are displayed in the museum. A significant portion of these items was transferred to the museum from historical külliyes such as Muradiye Mosque and Emir Sultan Mosque, under protocols established with the Directorate General of Waqfs. The main artifact groups in the inventory are as follows:

^{Destimal-i Şerif} (Bursa Büyükşehir Belediyesi Kent Arşivi)

• Manuscripts and Sacred Relics: A 500-year-old handwritten Qur’an, donated to the museum from Muradiye Mosque, is exhibited here. Additionally, three copies of the Qur’an and handwritten tafsirs are on display. One of the museum’s most prominent relics is the Destimal-i Şerif, the cloth in which the cloak of the Prophet Muhammad was wrapped. Hilye-i Şerif texts, which describe the physical features and moral character of the Prophet Muhammad, are also presented.

• Calligraphy Panels: Panels inscribed in sülüs, celî sülüs, muhakkak, nesih, kûfi, and ta’lik scripts, created between the 18th and 20th centuries on wood, paper, and fabric, are displayed in this section. Some fabric panels were embroidered by students of the Bursa Girls’ Teacher Training School of the period..^【3】 One hundred and fourteen calligraphy panels were transferred from the storage facility of Emir Sultan Mosque, under the regional directorate of waqfs, and have been exhibited in the museum following restoration work carried out by the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality.^【4】

• Wooden Artifacts: Eleven wooden rahle (book stands), designed in a folding format and mostly dating to the 19th century, are preserved in alcoves and display cases.^【5】

• Textile, Metal, and Everyday Waqf Artifacts: Carpets and kilims, candlesticks, alams, astrolabes, clocks, and perfume burners are exhibited. In the bathhouse section, bath tiles, takunyas, jugs, and towels are displayed; in the soup kitchen section, metal vessels, plates, samovars, kitchenware, and wooden cooking utensils are arranged to recreate the original setting.

^{Museum Artifacts} (Bursa Büyükşehir Belediyesi)

• Sufi Objects: Dervish clubs, prayer beads, caps, turbans with inscribed coins, dervish garments, slippers, staffs, prayer mats, lamps, jugs, healing bowls, and cups reflect tekke and zaviye culture. Additionally, religious musical instruments such as the def, kudüm, zil, and ney are exhibited. A personal effects collection belonging to Mehmet Muhyiddin Üftade is displayed seasonally during Ramadan.

• Replica Artifacts: Faithful replicas of the mihrab, minbar, and şadırvan of Bursa Grand Mosque, as well as the ceramic mihrab, minbar, calligraphy, wall tiles, and ceramic bands of the Green Mosque, have been recreated within the museum environment.

The Bursa Waqf Culture Museum serves as a comprehensive memory center that materializes Ottoman waqf culture through its extensive collection and architectural reconstructions, using historical and visual materials rooted in the Bursa context to preserve this heritage for future generations.