Kashgar

Id Kah Mosque

       Id K ah Mosque with a square of the same name is at the heart of the city. It is the large Mosque in China and most famous one in Xinjiang. The Mosque started to build in the mid of fifteenth century, and has gradually developed to the present size. Id K ah Mosque, with about 16800 square meters in area, consisting of Pray Hall, the Koran teaching Hall, The Corridor, the Arches and other buildings attaching to it. The Pray Hall of the mosque can hold 4000 prayers is supported by 140 carved wooden pillars ． And tall rectangular arches are about 12 meters high and flanked with two 18 meters high minarets on both sides ． The minarets are colorfully decorated with pretty pa tte rns ． The buildings of Id Kah Mosque look magnificent and solemn , and display the artistic styles of Islamic mosque architectures ． The mosque is a State Protected Cultural Relic ．

       Id al-kurban (kurban festival)is observed more boisterously than Id al-Fitr(Rozah Festival). It is also called “ cattle slaughtering festival” ． The legend goes that the prophet of Ibrahim received a message from Allah that is kill his son as a sacrifice to show his Loyalty ． When Ibrahim was ordered to carried it out ， Allah dispatched angels to bring a sheep in s ubstitution for his son ． From then on , the day has been designated as the day of slaughtering cattle when Muslim slaughter cattle to have a celebration.

       On the day of Id al-kurban ， at the daybreak ， Uygur men in Kashgar start to crow onto the I d kah Mosque Square ． In the meantime ， Muslims from hundreds of mosques around Kashgar come to the Id Kah Mosque Square or grand prayer service led by imams instead of held at every medium and small mosque ． From dawn to noon ， the waves of Muslims constantly surge towards the mosque ． Each procession is led by an imam ， wearing qiapan ， wrapping salor cloth over the head ， chanting a section of Koran at a total of seven times as he paused to do so on the way to the mosque.

        Mawla chants Koran aloud echoed by tens of thousands of Muslims in side of the mosque and at the square ． They face to Mecca and hold up their hands on ears to show their piety to Allah.

       As the prayer service ends, Muslims pay greeting to one another and flock out of the mosque and square ． At this moment, the joyful music and drum sound ． And it is at this occasion that the unique Uygur shaman and dolani dances are seen here ． The square becomes a sea of joy and celebration.

Apakh Khoja's Tomb

         This Mazar is the holiest place in Xinjiang and an architectural treasure ． Built in 1640 ， it is reminiscent of the Central Asian artistic style of Samarkand or Isfahan ． A handsome blue-and-white tiled gate leads into the compound , which includes a small religious school and the Abakh Khoja family tomb . The latter is domed and faced with multi - colored tiles . I t most complete Islamic tomb of the Qing Dynasty up-to-now in China ． The Mazar was listed one of the Historical Monuments and Cultural Relics Under State Protection in 1988 ．

         In the 17th century apakh Khoja was the powerful ruler of Kashgar, Korlar, Kuche, Aksu, Hotan, and Yakan. He is the leader of White Mountain of Islam, he was revered prophet and second only to Muhammad . T he site was originally donated to Abakh's father—Yusup , a respected Muslim Missionary who had traveled in Arabia and returned a great respected teacher of Koran . Yusup set up his religious school here ， and the mausoleum was built for him ． But his son ' s fame was greater, and after Abakh ' s death in 1693 the tomb was renamed after him . All five generations of the family are buried within ． There were 72 tombs until an earthquake in 1956 left only 58. The tombs are decked in colored saddle cloths ． The different buildings include the Tombs Hall , The Doctrine Teaching Hall , and the Great Hall of Prayer . The Tombs Hall has a dome cover with a glazed green tiles .

        The Apakh Khoja's Tomb is also known as Xiang Fei(Fragrant Concubine)Tomb in memory of Apakh Khoja's grand-daughter, Iplarhan , who was the Fragrant Concubine of Emperor Qianlong . She lived in the Forbidden City for 25 years, and upon her death , it is said that 120 people spent 3 years carrying her coffin back to Kashgar, Where the family wished her to be buried_

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