The Great Mosque Xian

The Great Mosque Xian is located at northwest of the Drum Tower (Gu Lou) on Huajue Lane. The Great Mosque Xian is the most sizable of its kind in Xi'an ,and also one of the oldest and best-preserved mosques in China.

The Great Mosque Xian 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. Covering an area of over 12,000 square meters, the Great Mosque is 248 meters long and 48 meters wide with a well-arranged layout. Unlike many Chinese mosques, it has the layout of a Chinese temple: successive courtyards on a single axis with pavilions and pagodas adapted to suit Islamic function. Unlike a typical Buddhist temple, however, the grand axis of the Great Mosque of Xian is aligned from east to west, facing Mecca. Five successive courtyards, each with a signature pavilion, screen, or freestanding gateway, lead to the prayer hall located at the western end of the axis. The Prayer Hall can hold 1,000 people at a time and according to traditional custom, prayer services are held five times everyday respectively at dawn, noon, afternoon, dusk and night.

Admission Fee: RMB 25
Opening Hours: 09:00 to 18:00
Recommended Time for a Visit: 1 hours
Bus Route: