The Yusuf Khass Hajib Mausoleum honours the 11th-century Uyghur scholar and poet who composed the Kutadgu Bilig, a philosophical treatise on ethics and statecraft, at the court of the Kara-Khanid rulers of Kashgar. The mausoleum is a modest but dignified structure in the old town, and a large statue of the poet sits outside in the small square beside it. This is a place of genuine significance for Uyghur culture rather than a tourist site designed for outsiders.
The surrounding streets are among the most atmospheric in the old town — away from the main tourist circuit, the neighbourhood here has kept more of its original character. A visit pairs well with the nearby Id Kah Mosque and bazaar, and takes only twenty minutes of your time if you are simply paying your respects. For those interested in Silk Road literary history, the mausoleum is the only marker in Kashgar of the city's remarkable intellectual output a thousand years ago.