Tomb of Cem Sultan

The Tomb of Cem Sultan is located in the Osmangazi district of Bursa, in the Muradiye neighborhood.

Cem Sultan, the youngest son of Fatih Sultan Mehmet, who took the title of Fatih with the conquest of Istanbul, declared his own empire in Bursa after the death of his father in 1481. During his 18-day reign, he minted coins in his own name and his elder brother II. As a result of the throne fights with Bayezid, he was exiled to Europe for many years.

Cem Sultan, who died in exile in Italy in 1495, was buried by his elder brother II. Bayezid wants to be buried in his own land. Thereupon, Cem Sultan's body was brought from Italy to Ottoman lands in 1499 and buried in its present location.

Having a hexagonal shape with a length of 7 meters on each side, the Tomb of Cem Sultan is quite magnificent, especially with its interior decorations. Brick and stone, which are commonly seen in Turkish architecture in Bursa, were used as building materials during the construction. On the walls of the tomb, a single row of stone comes after two rows of brick belts. Between these layers is a single brick placed vertically.

In the tomb, which has windows on both side walls, there is a window opening even on the dome drum, so the inside of the building gets a lot of sun. However, it is undoubtedly the interior decorations that distinguish this tomb in terms of Turkish architecture and Turkish art. Turquoise colored tiles were used in decorations up to the level of walls, windows and even upper jambs. On the other hand, there are dark blue colored tiles, albeit in small numbers.

The Tomb of Cem Sultan, which is the most precious example of the Turkish interior decoration art of the 15th century, is among the points visited by thousands of local and foreign tourists every year in terms of both its architectural and historical importance.