Nature / Yayla (highland pasture)
Kocayayla
Keles, Bursa
A broad yayla on the southern slopes of Uludağ, host every summer to the Kocayayla Culture Festival, which traces back to the Ottoman founding period.
Its story
Kocayayla is a meadow of about 500 decares on the southern slopes of Uludağ, about 62 kilometers from Bursa city center. Because historical sources relate that the wedding procession of Orhan Gazi and Nilüfer Hatun was held here, the yayla (highland pasture) is associated with the Ottoman founding period. The Kocayayla Culture Festival, held every summer, features a symbolic bride-fetching and wedding ceremony, a henna night, concerts, folk dances and handicraft exhibitions; the 2026 festival was the 58th. In 2023 the same site also hosted displays of mounted javelin (cirit), kökbörü and oil wrestling as part of the Turkic World Ancestral Sports Festival. The yayla has bungalows, and camping in tents and caravans is possible in designated areas.
Key facts
- Area
- About 500 decares of meadow
- Event
- Kocayayla Culture Festival (every July)
- Location
- Southern slopes of Uludağ, Keles
Trip purpose
- Seasonal
- Photography
- Pet-friendly
- Camping
- Hiking
Location
39.93492, 29.26620
Where to eat nearby
No food & drink venues listed nearby.
Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors; Overture Maps
Reviews
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Source: Web derlemesi (doğrulanmalı): https://www.bursahakimiyet.com.tr/bursa/bursa-kocayayla-da-tarihi-miras-solenle-yasatilacak-33-milyonluk-yatirim-1659089 | https://www.dha.com.tr/yerel-haberler/bursa/keles/6nci-turk-dunyasi-ata-sporlari-senligi-kocaya-2286137 | https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/643394553