Cumalikizik – A Village of Ottoman Houses

Cumalizik – A Village of Ottoman Residential Architecture:

We arrived at the main square of Cumalikizik and except for a couple of delivery workers, the village square was quite empty. The market stands are covered in blue tarpaulin and there was neither stallholders nor produce in sight. It is Ramadan and many of the village’s 400-odd inhabitants are probably indoors or at the mosque doing their prayers.

Ottoman Architecture

Cumalikizik was one of the first places settled by the Ottomans when Bursa became a capital.  This historic village is located on the lower slopes of Mount Uludağ, south-east of Bursa.  It is one of five villages that have been preserved as national monuments.

Cumalikizik is famous for its 750-year old half-timbered houses that are fine examples of Ottoman residential architecture.     There are some 270 houses in the village and some are still in the process of being restored. 180 of these houses are still being used as dwellings.

Cumalikizik Spring Water

Another interesting feature of Cumalikizik is the spring water that gushes down the main street of the village. Water from the  spring is bottled for drinking water. See our video of Cumalikizik spring water Here.

Past Chestnut Trade

Cumalikizik was once famous for its chestnuts and the chestnut trade was the main source of the village economy. When a blight damaged the chestnut trees the villagers began moving out to Bursa to find work and the village eventually fell into disrepair. It was not until Cumalikizik was used as a film location that the village began to attract the interest of sightseers. As more and more tourists began visiting Cumalikizik, the residents of Cumalikizik flocked back to the village.  They refurbished their houses and started up little businesses to cater for the tourist trade. On our walk around the village we spotted a few cafes and little provision shops.

How to Get to Cumalikizik

By Car – Cumalikizik can be reached by following the Ankara highway east from Bursa for 10 km and then continuing 3 km south toward the slopes of Uludağ.
By Public Transport – From the central bus station in Bursa there are city buses and minibuses leaving for Cumalıkızık.

Tip: If you’re planning on visiting Cumalikizik, good walking shoes are recommended for the cobbled streets.

You can see Cumalikizik village with Travelsignposts Here.

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