The Afaq Khoja Mausoleum is the holiest Muslim site in Xinjiang and the finest example of Islamic architecture in the region. The complex centres on a large tiled dome — glazed in blue, white, and green — surrounded by smaller structures, a mosque, and a garden of old mulberry trees. Inside the main hall, 72 tombs are arranged across five generations of the Khoja dynasty, the rulers who held religious and political power in the Tarim Basin in the 17th century.
The mausoleum sits about five kilometres northeast of the old town and is worth the journey. It feels genuinely sacred even to visitors who don't share the faith — the tilework is intricate, the garden peaceful, and the scale of the complex surprisingly grand. You can hire a pedicab from the old town or take a taxi. The surrounding neighbourhood has several traditional crafts workshops producing silk, pottery, and carved wooden goods.