A Brief Entry To Bursa's History... The earliest settlements in the Bursa region date back to the Chalcolitic, late Chalcolitic and early Bronze ages (5000-2000 BC). Unfortunately, systematic excavations that might throw light on the prehistoric periods have not yet been iniated. The written story of the region starts with the Aegean migrations, which affected all of western Anatolia from the mid 2000s onwards. Among the peoples that came in waves from Thrace to Anatolia were the Bithyni and Thyni, who settled in the Bursa, izmit and Bilecik regions, and for a long time, begining from antiquity, the region was named Bithynia after them. During the period of the Hellenistic Kingdoms following Alexander’s death, a Bithynian kingdom was founded, and remained sovereign until 71 BC when the whole region came under Roman rule. It is highly probable that the foundation of Bursa, or Prusa, as it was known in ancient times, was laid under the Bithynian King Zipoites (326-279 BC) but the city as we now know it was erected under Prusias I (232-192) BC and was named after him.When the Roman Empire was divided, Bithynia remained under the rule of Byzanthium. Prusa developed and flourished during this time and became world-famous with its hot springs. In 1326 Bursa was captured by the Ottomans and enjoyed the most magnificient period of its history. It was the first capital of the young Ottoman State.During this period which ended with the conquest of istanbul, Bursa was adorned by several lovely buildings.     The first six Ottoman Sultans before Murat II were buried in Bursa, in the complexes bearing their names. Bursa suffered great destruction because of a fire within the citadel and an earthquake in 1855 but the city was quickly reconstructed according to the old plan.After the first world war, recovered its fast pace of development under the Republic and has thus evolved into the rich, vivid, and modern Bursa of today...