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.