Tuesday, 23 April 2019
For our final excursion of the day, we visited the Muslim quarter and the Great Mosque. Since Xi'an was an integral part of the Silk Road, Muslims have had a significant presence in Xi'an for a long time. The most notable feature of the Muslim quarter was the enticing aroma of numerous street food stalls.
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| Interesting breads for sale. |
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| Almost anything can be cooked on a stick. This vendor has octopus (right) and squid (center). |
The Great Mosque was first constructed in 742, but the current structures are "only" several hundred years old.
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| Laid out on an east-west axis, the mosque has four courtyards, and exhibits typical Islamic symmetry. The architecture is undisputedly Chinese. I was surprised that we did not have to remove shoes to enter the grounds. |
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| As befits a place of worship, the mosque is an island of tranquility in the midst modern Xi'an. |
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| The minaret is a small octagonal pagoda. |
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| The western end of the mosque culminates in the Prayer Hall. Only Muslim men may enter. |
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| Peering through the window, the interior of the prayer hall looks like a conventional mosque. |
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| The roof of the Prayer Hall is covered with aqua-colored tiles, but still has the traditional line up of characters -- another surprising feature, since traditional Islam rejects depiction of humans or animals, preferring floral motifs. |
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