Murad I

Refers to the style and period that coincided with the rule of Murad I, son of Orhan, 1362 to 1389. During this period some new mosques were constructed at Bursa and the sultan is recorded as having employed Christian workmen. In 1366, Murad I began the construction of a kulliye, or charitable complex. It consisted of mosque-madras, a thermal bath of Byzantine origin, a large soup kitchen, and a school. Completed in 1385, the mosque was of the cross-axial form with four chambers, two of them having large fireplaces to shelter visiting dervishes. Under the central dome, stood a fountain for ritual ablutions before the raised mosque section. A unique feature of this building is the octagonal domed chamber over the mihrab, the niche in a mosque wall indicating the direction of Mecca.