Id Kah Mosque
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.
The original mosque was built in 1442 by Saqsiz Mirza who was the local ruler of the area at that time. When it was first built, it was a small mosque but through continuous renovation and extensions, it has become its present shape and size.
Kashgar Id Kah Mosque
Today, it is open five times for daily prayers, Friday prayers and two big festival prayers. It can hold up to 20,000 people at a single service during the two big festivals, like the Qurban and Ramadan festivals. At that time, the main hall of the mosque, the mosque yard, the square in front of the mosque, two side roads, and the main road after the square and all the way up the the market on the opposite side of the square will be filled with people.
The mosque is 140 meters long from south to north, 120 meters from wide east to west and covers a total area of 16,800 square meters. It consists of a praying hall, doctrine teaching hall, gate tower, ablution room, pond and other general purpose halls.
Kashgar Id Kah Mosque
During the big Ramadan and Qurban festivals, traditional Uyghur Muqam music is played on top of the minarets and the square in front of the mosque is filled with Sama dancers. Id Kah mosque is a magnificent example of Islamic architecture and has been a prominent focal point in the center of Kashgar for more than 500 years. It is considered to be the centre of Kashgar for Uyghur people.
Note:
1.The mosque is open between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm but is closed during the prayer times. Visitors should dress respectfully and appropriately, avoiding shorts or short sleeved shirts. Women should cover their head with a scarf.
2. Visitors should take off their shoes inside the mosque before stepping on the carpet.
3. Avoid taking photos of the people who are praying, especially from their side or front.
