Tomb of Amanisahan

The mausoleum of Amanisahan in Yarkand's old quarter is the most important cultural monument of the Uyghur world and one of the most dignified religious buildings in Xinjiang. The 16th-century queen and poetess who is buried here is credited with collecting and standardising the Twelve Muqam — the classical music tradition that defines Uyghur cultural identity — and her tomb has been a place of pilgrimage for Uyghur musicians and cultural figures ever since.

The complex consists of the main domed mausoleum with its characteristic green tiling, a mosque, and the adjacent golden graveyard containing the tombs of the Yarkand Khanate's royal family. The architecture is Central Asian in character, drawing on the same tradition as the great mausoleums of Samarkand — pointed arches, decorated tilework, carved wooden doors — but at a scale that feels intimate rather than monumental.

The complex is the cultural heart of the old city and is generally accessible to visitors. The mosque serves the local community and is active for prayer; the mausoleum itself is open as a historical site. The atmosphere is one of genuine reverence rather than tourist spectacle.

things to do sight
A story
Amanisahan (c.1526–1560) was a Uyghur poetess and the fourth wife of the Khan of Yarkand, credited with preserving and standardising the Twelve Muqam — the classical music tradition that forms the backbone of Uyghur cultural identity. Without her patronage, the muqam would likely have been lost in the wars and upheavals that followed her death. UNESCO added the Twelve Muqam to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2005, and her tomb is accordingly one of the most important cultural sites in Xinjiang.