Kuche Dasi

Kuche Grand Mosque is the second largest mosque in Xinjiang after Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar, 4 kilometers away from Kuche New Town. Among the many earthen buildings in the old city of Kuche, the green glazed dome of Kuche Grand Mosque is particularly eye-catching in the sun. The gatehouse of the Grand Mosque is 18.3 meters high and is made entirely of blue bricks. The towering gatehouse and minaret are majestic and upright. The columns are carved with Islamic style patterns, and the dome-shaped roof looks like the sky. The prayer hall in the temple is 1,500 square meters and can accommodate 3,000 people for worship. The 64 hexagonal columns in 8 rows and columns are decorated like colorful carvings and paintings, supporting the ceiling composed of 102 square patterns, which is magnificent and spectacular. Kuche Grand Mosque is said to have been built by Ishaq Wuli, the leader of the Black Mountain Sect of Xinjiang Islam, during his stay and preaching from Kashgar to Kuche in the 16th century. It was originally an earthen monastery, but was changed to a wooden structure in the 17th century. It was burned down in a fire in 1923, and the existing monastery was built in 1931. It is worth mentioning that there is a prestigious "religious court" to the north of the small mosque. It is a product of the integration of politics and religion, and is also one of the few remains of Islamic judicial institutions preserved in Xinjiang.