19 September 2009 / TODAY'S ZAMAN WITH WIRES, İSTANBUL
The Green Tomb (Yeşil Türbe), which has become the symbol of Bursa, will be opened next week during Eid al-Fitr (a three-day holiday marking the end of Ramadan) after three years of restoration.Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, Bursa Governor Şahabettin Harput stated that the restoration work has been supported financially by the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) since 2006.
“The restoration work has lasted for three years. We have been paying great attention to the protection of the artistic characteristics of the tomb and to the restoration, trying to stay as true to the original as we can,” said the governor. He also noted that in line with the contract between the company restoring the tomb and the governorship, the restoration was completed on Aug. 31 and the tomb will open during Eid al-Fitr after some landscaping work is completed. He added that the restoration cost TL 1.7 million. Academics and experts from numerous institutions were consulted during the restoration. The restored ceramics were compared with ones that are produced in ceramic factories, and they were sent to laboratories at İstanbul Technical University (İTÜ) to check their quality. The Green Tomb was built in 1421 by Çelebi Sultan Mehmet and is a paradise of tiles. The tomb also features some of the best examples of Ottoman woodworking.
