BURSA FROM IMPRESSIONS OF WOMEN TRAVELERS

Abstract

Records of the past and future of cities are undoubtedly very important in terms of determining the urban identity and developing the sense of belonging of the people living in the city. In addition to the books, archives and records describing the history of the city, travelogues are also important sources in terms of telling the historical, cultural and social environment of the period from a different point of view. At the same time, they are works of visual description with the drawings and engravings in them.

It is known that Bursa, the first capital of the Ottoman Empire, has been one of the favorite cities of all domestic and foreign travelers for centuries. After Evliya Çelebi's narratives about Bursa, the presence of many foreign travelers in the region draws attention. In the 19th century, with the improvement of travel conditions, it is seen that foreign women travelers visited Bursa, especially Istanbul, and conveyed their impressions through travel books.

From the accounts of almost all of the women travelers, it is understood that Bursa, which is the northern land part of Asia Minor, is endowed with countless blessings, so it is frequently visited in every period. Travelers who visit Istanbul compare Bursa, the cradle of the Ottoman Empire, the real capital of the East, and rich with its famous rural charm, which was in great demand at the time, with Istanbul, to the natural beauties, spas and baths of Bursa, which they find more orientalist than Istanbul. We see that they refer to the socio-economic life in the region, from silkworm to weaving, to historical and cultural structures.

In this study, Bursa's geographical location, historical and cultural texture, socio-economic structure will be discussed from the eyes of female travelers such as Miss Julia Pardoe, Mary Adelaide Walker, Lucy Garnett, Georgina Adelaide Müller and Grace Ellison. In addition to the narratives, Bursa engravings of artists such as Mary Adelaide Walker and Thomas Allom will be included in the research. As a result, a different perspective will be presented with the narratives of female travelers in terms of visiting places that male travelers cannot enter