ID Kah Mosque - the largest mosque in Xinjiang Province
Last Update: 17th October 2020
Originally built in 1442, Id Kah Mosque covers an area of 16,800 square meters. The mosque stands at the heart of the old city of Kashgar. It was originally the cemetery of the Islamic missionaries left by the Arab general Benedict Ibn Moslim who conquered the Central Asia. The mosque is composed of the main hall, the outer hall, the scripture halls, the courtyard, the minaret, the gate, etc.
ID Kah Mosque Fast Facts
- Chinese Name: Ai Ti Ga Er Qingzhensi (艾提尕尔清真寺)
- Area: 16,800 x square meters
- Things to do there: Photography, Islam
- Who visits: Photographers, Adventure Enthusiasts, Muslims
- Time required: 1 – 2 x hours

What to expect at the ID Kah Mosque
With one minaret on either side, the main gate of Id Kah Mosque is light-yellow. It is 12.5 meters tall. Both of the minarets are some 18 meters high. After entering the gate, an octagonal hall and a garden with an area of 1.3 hectare will come into your sight. There are 18 rows of temples on both sides of the north and south. It is the place where the Imam lectures and religious students learn. There are two pools in the park, surrounded by white poplars.
The most important building at the mosque is the chapel, which is located in the deepest part of the mosque. The chapel is 140 meters long and 15 meters wide. It’s mainly green. More than one hundred seven-meter-high green pillars support the chapel. The chapel can accommodate around 2,000 to 3,000 persons to worship in. On Fridays – the Jumah Day, about 7,000 Muslims do worshiping at the mosque. The chapel consists of the mail hall and the outer hall. 18 pillars support the mail hall. The outer halls stand to the north and the south of the main hall.
The Muslims always worship 5 times at the mosque for one day. When they do worshiping, the visitors are not allowed to enter the mosque.
Best time to visit the ID Kah Mosque
The best time to visit Id Kah Mosque is not during the worshiping time of the Muslims.
The best months to visit are from May to September.
How to get to the ID Kah Mosque
A few buses pass by the mosque. Therefore, there are a few options.
- Rent a vehicle to mosque. This is the quickest and most direct options.
- Take Bus 2, 7, 8, 13, 22 and Bus 28 to the Stop of Ai Ti Ga Er (艾提尕尔站).
Additional ID Kah Mosque Travel Advice
- Opening hours: 10 – 20:00. The mosque is not open to the visitors between 14:00 and 16:00.
- As at 17th October 2020, the entrance pricing to the mosque is 45 CNY per person. For the latest pricing information, please contact us via email (info@wendyweitours.com)
- Please do not wear shorts or short skirt in the mosque.
- Please take off your shoes in the mosque.
- It is not allowed to take photos in the mosque.
- When Muslims do worshiping, please do not stand in front of them or at the side of them as the direction they are facing to is the place where Mecca located in.
- Please keep quiet in the mosque
Interested in visiting the ID Kah Mosque on a Tour?
Wendy Wei Tours offers a variety of different packaged tours as well as custom tours including the ID Kah Mosque, among other attractions and destinations. To find out more, please visit our Tours page or Contact Us directly to find out more.