Id Kah Mosque


Kashgar's majestic yellow-tiled Id Kah Mosque has been the heart of the region's traditional Muslim culture
since its completion in 1442. Kashgar City, as the biggest mosque in China, it is a group of old Islamic
constructions with strong ethnic style and religious features.

Shakesimirzha, the ruler of Kashgar, had the mosque built here in 1442, which was used by him to say
prayers for the souls of his deceased relatives. Extended and repaired time and again through centuries,
it has finally taken its present shape and size. The mosque, 140meters long from south to north and
120meters wide from east to west, covers an area of 16800 square meters and consists of the Hall of
Prayer, the Doctrine Teaching Hall, the Gate Tower, a pond and some other accessory structures. The
gate of the mosque, built of yellow bricks with the joints pointed with gypsum, has distinct lines. On either side of the gate is an eighteen-meter
high round column with a half embedded in the wall behind it.

Visitors are tolerated but only to the extent that they show the expected levels of respect for the institution. Women are advised to cover up bare
limbs and all visitors should be wary of turning a serious place of daily worship into a tourist spectacle (it's not unheard of for outsiders who disturb
the mosque's sanctity to be ushered off the premises). It's best to pick the right time to visit; mid-morning is usually the best bet for admission,
while Fridays and major prayer days are no go, though the scene outside the mosque on festival days can provide a real feast for the eyes and
ears as traditional musicians accompany vigorous Uighur dance and song.

Every day, thousands of worshippers come here to pray. Every Friday afternoon, Muslims living far and near
gather here to worship. On the Kurban Festivals and Fast-breaking Festival, the two most important grand
Islamic festivals, the Uygur people gather on the square in front of the mosque to celebrate the festivals. And
Uygur young men in their holiday-celebrating suits dance  “Sama” dance, with great enthusiasm, to the
cheerful drumbeats and music.

Today, it remains one of China's largest mosques, frequently hosting ten to twenty thousand worshippers
on holy days.