Id Kah Mosque


The iconic yellow tiles of Kashgar's Id Kah Mosque have been a travel destination for centuries. Id Kah Mosque, also spelled as “Eid Kah” or ” Aitiga’er in Chinese” means in Uyghur language, “place for festival”. It  is the biggest mosque in the region and in China. It is also the center of Islamic activities for people in Kashgar and surrounding cities. For many Uyghur in the villages surrounding Kashgar, it is a spiritual journey. For most of us, it is a curious monument of ancient Uyghur culture in the middle of a quickly modernizing city. Here’s everything you need to know before you go.

History

The land on which the Id Kah mosque is built was originally used as a cemetery as early as 996 AD. Some history connects the mosque to older structures that dotted this plot of land, it’s a tentative connection at best.

The familiar mosque face we easily recognize today only dates back to the early 19th century. The Id Kah Mosque was officially built in 1442. At that time it was a simple prayer hall by the ruler of Kashgar at the time, Saqsiz Mirza, for the purpose of saying prayers for the souls of his deceased relatives.

The true heart of Kashgar lies not in the People’s Square, a space guarded by China’s second largest Mao ZeDong statue. No, the true heart of this beautiful city is  in the square and alleyways that fall under the shadow of the yellow-bricked Id Kah Mosque.

The entire mosque covers an area of 16,800 sq. meters, making it the largest mosque by land area in China (there is another mosque in Qinghai whose building is actually larger). Inside the Id Kah prayer halls, close to 20,000 worshipers can cram together to worship during the major Muslim festivals. During normal Friday prayers, however, that number is usually between 2,000-5,000.

For those unaware, Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of the month-long religious fasting called “Ramadan”.  For the entire month a fast is supposed to be observed from sun-up to sun-down until the final day when they hold a celebration that seems to me to be as big in their culture as Christmas is in America.

People travel long distances to see family, visit friends, and in many cases to visit an important mosque. This is particularly the case where thousands of Uyghur gather to pray at the Id Kah Mosque.

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Client’s Reviews

  • deniseang89

    Reviewed 4thJuly2012

    Majestic, be sure to pop by around 2pm Beijing Time on Fridays to see how their Friday prayers are like!

  • Swimmmer63

    Reviewed 21stJuly2016

    The columns re decorated, while the walls are plain. There is a million dollar silk rug on one wall, with gardens feviding the different halls. Mosques are very simple.

  • Jennifer M

    Reviewed 1stJune2017

    The Mosque dominates the city of Kashgar and everything around it relates to it. The large square in front on the mosque is filled with people strolling almost all times of the day. Oxen, horses and buffalo are also there, decorated brightly and for those...More

  • WWTraveller26

    Reviewed 8thJuly2016

    We were lucky to visit this mosque during the month of Ramadan and to be there on the day of Idd. It was wonderful to see so many people praying at the same location, turned out in new clothes. There's nothing to see inside a...More

  • dalia s

    Reviewed 30thAugust2014

    the area around the mosque with all the shops and the market in front of it are much more iteresting

  • EthanandJocelyn

    Reviewed 11thApril2012

    You cannot avoid this place. It's nice but again when we were there, there was heavy security in the square. If your back is to the Mosque, there's a cheap ice-cream/yoghurt place on your left. Yum.

  • Ninjatuner

    Reviewed 14thSeptember2013

    Nothing to see inside. We paid for tickets and were expecting something, we've been to mosques before. The plaza outside is much more interesting.

  • kathy_rodgers

    Reviewed 10thOctober2017

    this mosque is in the centre of the old town of Kashgar. The outside is a nice colour however theres not much to see in the grounds or inside as some rooms are roped off but its worth a visit.

  • xiaobier1949

    Reviewed 8thJune2012

    It was the end of Ramadan and we were fortunate to be given a birds eye view of the thousands of worshipers and then to be part of the singing and dancing after their prayers were over.

  • tombillinge

    Reviewed 21stAugust2015

    This mosque is the most famous in Kashgar and is worth seeing. It is not a spectacular mosque in global terms, but it is a key part of the Uighur culture and heritage in the city.

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