The Id Kah Mosque

The big yellow-tiled mosque has a peaceful courtyard and gardens for 20,000 worshippers. It was built in 1442 as a smaller mosque on what was then the outskirts of town. During the Cultural Revolution, China's decade of political anarchy from 1966 to 1976, Id Kah suffered heavy damage, but has since been restored. Its central veranda has a carved and finely painted ceiling.

The Id Kah Mosque

In front of the mosque is Id Kah Square, swarming on sunny days with old men in high boots and long black coats, women with brown veils over their heads, and quite a few down-and-outers. There are more than 90 neighbourhood mosques throughout the city.