Id Kah Mosque 艾提尕尔清真寺

About Id Kah Mosque

Its yellow-toned entrance, flanking towers and deeper courtyard spaces give it a strong presence in the surrounding streets. The complex developed through successive rebuilding and enlargement, so it should be understood as a layered monument. Visitor admission and religious use have their own arrangements; check the current entrance notice rather than relying on old accounts of access.

The first mosque was built here in 1442 and enlarged in 1538. Further work during the sixteenth century created a larger mosque suitable for Friday congregational prayer. An expansion in 1798 used funds left by a woman who died while travelling through Kashgar, and the mosque acquired its present name, meaning a place for festival worship. Alterations in 1873 established its present scale.

The complex faces east and covers 16,800 square metres. Beyond the gateway, 36 teaching rooms line the north and south sides of the courtyard. The prayer space stands on a raised platform to the west, with inner and outer halls whose roof is carried by 158 pale-blue columns. Carved timber and painted ceiling decoration accompany a central niche in the main hall.

What to look for

• The monumental entrance frames the edge of the old-city square.
• Courtyard and prayer-building spaces reveal the larger layout where visitor access is permitted.

The surrounding area

A southwestern urban and cultural chapter with craft streets, food and residential life.

Location & getting there

Getting to Id Kah Mosque

Use Id Kah Mosque at Id Kah Square in central Kashgar. Confirm the current visitor admission period and accessible areas at the entrance, and follow instructions on dress and photography.