Bursa
Bursa is a large city in Turkey. It was a capital of the Ottoman Empire before its conquest of Constantinople and remained prominent afterwards. Consequently, it was one of the cities contested by the Assassins and Templars during the last years of Sultan Bayezid II.
History
In 1467, Yusuf Tazim, who would later become a Master Assassin and the leader of the Ottoman Brotherhood of Assassins, was born in Bursa.[1]
In 1511, the Assassins and Templars battled for control of the city. The Templars kidnapped Sultan Bayezid II's third son Korkut in Bursa, though he was saved by Assassins sent by Mentor Ezio Auditore da Firenze from Constantinople.[2]
Within a year, the Templars launched another plot in the city, threatening the life of a local Turkmen philanthropist allied to the Assassins. While the philanthropist hid from the Templars, Assassins from Constantinople arrived to serve as his bodyguards while he made preparations for his family's safe escape to Constantinople. Nevertheless, the Assassins failed to prevent the Templars from abducting his family for ransom and had to send a team to rescue them.[2]
In that same period, those who wished to have an audience with viziers visiting Bursa could purchase their time from corrupt Janissaries garrisoned in the city. This naturally benefited only the wealthy, who used this market to lobby the Ottoman government to enact laws in their favor. In response, Constantinople Assassins assassinated the soldiers behind the practice.[2]
By May 1512, the prolific activities of the Ottoman Brotherhood had eroded away Templar control of Bursa, and the Assassins moved in to replace them, establishing Dens throughout the city.[2]
Korkut was later buried in Bursa after his execution under the orders of his distrustful half-brother Selim I in 1513. [citation needed]