The Great Mosque

The Great Mosque in Xi'an is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved Islamic mosques in China and its location is northwest of the Drum Tower (Gu Lou) on Huajue Lane.

According to historical records engraved on a stone tablet inside, this mosque was built in 742 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). This was a result of Islam being introduced into Northwest China by Arab merchants and travelers from Persia and Afghanistan during the mid-7th century when some of them settled down in China and married women of Han Nationality. Their descendants became Muslim of today. The Muslim played an important role in the unifications of China during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. Hence, other mosques were also built to honor them.

The Great Mosque had knew by the world not only for its centuries-old history but also for its particular design of mixed architecture - traditional Muslim and Chinese styles. Occupying an area of over 12,000 square meters, the Great Mosque is divided into four courtyards, 250 meters long and 47 meters wide with a well-arranged layout. Landscaped with gardens, the further one strolls into its interior, the more serene one feels.

In the first courtyard, there is a wooden arch. The arch, 9 meters high, with glaze-covered tiles, can be traced back to 17 century. Three chambers stand by each side of the arch, in which now displays some furniture preserved from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. On the center of the second yard stands a stone arch with two steles on both sides. On the steles are famous calligraphies from prominent ancient calligraphers. The Fourth Courtyard contains a big prayer hall which can accommodate over thousands people at a time.  

The mosque is a combination of traditional Chinese architecture and Islamic art. In Chinese style, it constructed as a series of pavilions, buildings with four courtyards between them. The wall, however, is decorated with Islamic art. It is the only one Mosque that opens to visitors in the country. But non-Muslim visitors are not allowed to enter to the main prayer hall. The Great Mosque was added to the UNESCO Islamic Heritage List in 1985.