14.05.2026 13:10
The mysterious tomb known among the public as the "bride's grave" in the İnegöl district of Bursa has come to the agenda again. While three different rumors are circulating about the tomb, whose owner is unknown—that it belongs to a young girl who could not be with her loved one, a soldier who fell in the War of Independence, or a saint—the neighborhood headman has applied to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for an investigation of the tomb.
The grave, whose mystery remains unsolved in the Çeltikçi neighborhood of Bursa's İnegöl district, has come back into the spotlight. Known among the public as the 'bride's grave,' there are three different legends about it, and the grave, whose owner is unknown, has divided the locals as well. While some believe the tales, others say the claims do not reflect the truth. The neighborhood head has applied to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to determine who the grave belongs to.
The rural Çeltikçi neighborhood, with 480 households and a population of 1410 in the İnegöl district, became the center of attention in Turkey due to a video of a grave. Regarding the grave located by the roadside in the neighborhood center, whose owner is unknown, there are three different legends: a girl who could not be with her beloved died on her wedding night and was buried in front of her home; it is the grave of a soldier who fell in the War of Independence; or it is the grave of a saint. While İnegöl Municipality officials stated that there is indeed a grave in the area but it is unknown who is buried there, it was noted that the grave, known as the 'bride's grave' among the public, is two centuries old.
"THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT LEGENDS" Selahattin Dumanlar, the head of Çeltikçi neighborhood, who said he submitted a petition to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to determine who the grave belongs to, stated that there are three different legends about the grave, saying, "As far as we've heard from our elders, there are three different legends. We don't know which one is real. There's a young girl who said she wanted to become a bride at a very old house. And it's said that the young girl said, 'Let me go as a bride to that house, or if I can't, let me die at its doorstep.' Again, from what we heard from our elders, I remember from my childhood. Our grandmothers used to light candles and pray here on holy nights, and there's also a rumor that the person here is a saint. Another strong legend is that the person buried here is a soldier from the time of the War of Independence. Our village was a small settlement back then. This grave's location is where the last house was. He fell as a martyr further in the village, and then our village people quickly buried him here. The funeral prayer was either performed or not. They themselves retreated to the mountains during raid times. This legend is more likely. We have elders who know this. As the village head, we take care of the necessary maintenance because there is a grave here. As the headman, I submitted a petition to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for an official investigation"
"AFTER ALL, THERE IS SOMEONE BURIED HERE" Dumanlar, emphasizing that the grave has a history spanning centuries, said, "If we take the War of Independence as a basis, it has a history of 110-120 years; if taken as a saint, it could be 300-400 years old; if considered as a bride, it would be 100-200 years old. Because according to the historical records of our village, it is noted as a foundation village of our İshak Pasha. Especially regarding the bride story, visitors from national media or from outside the city stop by. They ask, but since we don't have clear information, we tell things based on legends. This is a mysterious grave. We offer our prayers; after all, there is someone buried here. Whether it's a woman, a man, or a soldier; we don't know. We take care of it."