Id Kah Mosque

Introducing Id Kah Mosque
Id Kah Mosque is a historic mosque and tourist site located in Kashgar City. Id Kah Mosque stands as a prominent landmark and the largest mosque in Xinjiang Province, renowned globally. Its name “Id Kah” means festival and square of joy in Uygur language. The mosque serves as a revered place of worship for Muslims, exemplifying Islamic religious culture through a harmonious blend of Islamic architecture and traditional Chinese building styles.

Id Kah Mosque Fast Facts
• Chinese Name: Ai Ti Ga Er Qing Zhen Si 艾提尕尔清真寺
• Best Time to Visit: May to September
• Recommended Visiting Hours: 1 hour
• Things to Do: Photography, Islam, Architecture
• Opening Hours: Daily, Fajr to Isha (Muslims); 10:30 – 14:00; 16:30-19:30 (general public)
• Entrance Fee: CNY30
• Address: North Jiefang Road, Kashgar, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

History of Id Kah Mosque

Id Kah Mosque originally served as the cemetery for Ibn Qutaybah, an Arab general and Islamic preacher. According to tradition, it was built by Saqsiz Mirza, King of the ancient Kashgar Kingdom, in 1442. By the early 16th century, it had expanded significantly to host Friday Juma prayers. In 1798, the mosque was extended in memory of Gulirena, a Muslim woman who passed away while traveling to Pakistan. This expansion led to the mosque being named Id Kah. Later, a generous Uygur woman donated and purchased 600 acres of land for the mosque. In 1809, an official reconstructed the mosque, adding a gate and creating a lake and canal within its grounds. Further expansions occurred during the early 19th century, coinciding with the growth of Kashgar City under the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). Moreover, the mosque underwent its most recent renovation in 1872, resulting in a completely redesigned layout.

What to expect at Id Kah Mosque
The mosque incorporates architectural features observed in Central Asian, West Asian and to a lesser extant, Chinese architecture. The mosque is centered around the prayer hall and has a courtyard on both sides of it. The Id Kah Mosque is composed of a chapel, a sutra hall, a gate tower and some other auxiliary buildings. The temple gate is made of yellow bricks, the gate is 4.7 meters high, 4.3 meters wide, and the gate building is about 17 meters high. Two 18-meter-high minarets are built asymmetrically on both sides of the gate tower, and a crescent moon stands on the top of the tower. At dawn each day, the Imam in the temple will climb the tower five times and call for Muslims to come and worship. Behind the gate tower is a large arch, with a minaret at the top. Every Friday, it houses nearly 10,000 worshippers and may accommodate up to 20,000. On other days of the week, around 2,000 Muslims come to the mosque to pray.

 

How to get to Id Kah Mosque
• Take bus No. 2, 8, 13, 16, 22, 23, Tourist Line 1 and 2 to Id Kah Station.
• Rent a car/bus from GGC to enjoy a hassle free private transfer from hotels in Kashgar to Id Kah Mosque.

Additional travel advice on Id Kah Mosque
• Please respect the Muslim traditions and customs in the Mosque.
• Admittance to the mosque is limited to Muslims only during prayer time (14:30-16:30).
• It is not allowed to take photos in the mosque.
• Please dress appropriately. Men and women should wear clothes with long sleeves and long pants. Don’t wear shorts.