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Home Travel in Xinjiang The Id Kah Mosque
The Id Kah Mosque
Travel in Xinjiang

The Id Kah Mosque
Located at the Jiefang Road (jiě fàng lù 解放路) of downtown Kashi city (kā shí 喀什)(also known as Kashgar), the Id Kah Mosque (ài tí gǎ ěr qīng zhēn sì 艾提尕尔清真寺) is the largest of its kind in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (xīn jiāng wū lǔ mù qí zì zhì qū 新疆乌鲁木齐自治区) and also the center for Islamic activities of the entire Xinjiang region. The Id Kah Mosque is well known all over the world for its long history, grand structure and splendid national features.


Brief Introduction


Id Kah Mosque The big yellow-tiled Id Kah Mosque (Aitigaer Qingzhensi) is one of the largest in China and is the religious center of Kashgar, capable of holding six thousand to seven thousand worshippers at a time. Shakesimirzha (shā kè sè zī 沙克色孜), a ruler of Kashgar, had the mosque built here first in 1442 and it was extended to its present shape through several renovation works. The mosque, constructed of yellow brick, is easily recognizable from its dominant spot on the west side of Id Kah Square.

Being the largest in china, it attracts more than 10,000 worshipers for prayers on a Friday afternoon. The call to prayer booming from the mosque can be heard throughout the city center. As long as it is not prayer time or religious holidays, tourists are allowed into the mosque. When you visit mosques, you should always remember that both men and women should always have their arms and legs fully covered. The best time to visit is probably early to mid-morning when there are few worshippers here.


Structure


Inside the MosqueThe mosque, 140 meters long from south to north and 120 meters from east to west, covers an area of 16,800 square meters and consists of the Hall of Prayer, the Doctrine-Teaching Hall, the gate tower, a pond and some other auxiliary structures. The gate of the mosque, built of yellow bricks with the joints of the brickwork pointed with gypsum, has distinct lines. On both sides of the gate are eighteen-meter high round brick columns half embedded in the wall. On top of the columns stands a tower where the imam would call out loudly at dawn every day to wake up the Muslims and summon them to attend service in the mosque. In the tree-graced courtyard, there is a pond, and on its bank many pottery pots are placed, which are to be used by the Islam believers to clean their bodies. The main hall with wide eaves is 160 meters long and 16 meters wide. The hall's ceiling, with fine wooden carvings and colorful flower-and-plant painting patterns, is supported by one hundred carved wooden columns. In the middle part of the wall in the main hall, there is a deep shrine in which a stepped throne is placed. During service, the First Maola stands in the shrine to lead the prayer. And on Fridays or Corban, the First Maola conducts "Wa'z", standing on the steps of the throne. After entering the main hall, the followers would seat themselves facing west both inside and out, in proper lines.


Pray


ImamThis 15th century mosque is one of the largest and busiest in China. As you stroll under the trees in the pleasant courtyards, you glimpse the strength and care of the local community. At midday on Fridays around 10,000 people will gather to pray and study the Koran, and prayer 5 times/day on other days. You'll be asked to remove your shoes before entering the Main Hall, which has traditional Islamic pillars, carvings and rugs strewn over the floors. Women are advised to cover upper arms and legs. A scarf is not compulsory, but is seen as a mark of respect. During religious festivals, all the Muslims in Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region come to this sacred place to celebrate. At prayer time, the mosque, the square, the streets and the roads all around are full of piously kneeling Muslims. Afterwards, all the people get together on the square in front of the Id Kah Mosque and dance to show their happiness, with no sign of exhaustion.

Admission Fee: CNY 30
Opening Hours: 8:50 am-10:00 am
Bus Route: No. 77,13