Surrounded by the Historical Bazaar and Inn Area of the country's northwestern Bursa province, known as "the heart of commerce" for seven centuries and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality opened Ertuğrulbey Square, which will add value to the historical region.
Ertuğrulbey Square is a complete open-air museum with 14 inns, eight "Kapalı Çarşı" (Covered Bazaars), four markets, 21 mosques, 177 civil architectural structures, one school and three tombs.
With the Çarşıbaşı Urban Design Project, the metropolitan municipality reserved an area of 20,000 square meters (over 215,000 square feet), 9,000 of which is completed and makes part of the square. In addition, the historical texture of Ertuğrulbey Square was brought to the fore with a burial chamber belonging to the Bithynian period, which has a history of 2,300 years and is made more visible with glass coating.
The square has been transformed into a privileged area where citizens visiting the historical bazaar can soak up its history.
Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank, and Bursa deputy and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chairperson Efkan Ala attended the opening ceremony of the square.
Alinur Aktaş, the mayor of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, thanked all the previous mayors who have contributed to this work, which was started in late 2019 with a budget of more than $500 million.
Minister Varank stated: "A prosperous nation takes care of its history to achieve a great future. The opening of this square is yet more proof that our land is a hidden treasure that keeps surprising us with discoveries."
