The Id Kah Mosque is the largest mosque in China and the spiritual heart of Kashgar. The yellow-tiled facade, twin minarets, and onion-domed gateway give it an unmistakably Central Asian character that sets it apart from mosque architecture found elsewhere in the country. The complex can hold up to ten thousand worshippers and has been a gathering place for Uyghur Muslims for centuries.
The square in front of the mosque is one of the great public spaces of Central Asia. In the mornings, old men sit and talk, pigeons wheel overhead, and the surrounding bazaar lanes fill with vendors selling embroidered skullcaps, prayer beads, and dried fruit. Non-Muslims may enter the courtyard and the prayer hall outside of prayer times for a small admission fee. The gate guards are generally welcoming if you are dressed modestly.