Huajuexiang Mosque

Mosque Name: Huajuexiang Mosque

Country: China

City: Xian

Year of construction (AH): 124 AH

Year of construction (AD): 742 AD

GPS: http://archnet.org/sites/3973

ArchNet:

Gibson Classification: Original Qibla is Unknown. Possibly 277.53

Rebuilt facing Mecca: 1392

For a Link to the Qibla Tool Click Here

Description:

This is one of the oldest and most renowned mosques in China, founded in 742 during the Tang dynasty (618-907). However, the majority of the existing Xi’an Great Mosque was constructed during the later Ming dynasty and further expanded in the Qing dynasty. This mosque is still used by Chinese Muslims (mainly the Hui people) today as a place of worship. Unlike most mosques in Middle Eastern or Arab countries, the Great Mosque of Xi’an is completely Chinese in its construction and architectural style, except for some Arabic lettering and decorations, for the mosque has neither domes nor traditional-style minarets.

This mosque was rebuilt in 1392 and now faces Mecca. The original Qibla direction is unknown.

Occupying an area of over 12,000 square meters, the Great Mosque is divided into four courtyards, 250 meters long and 47 meters wide with a well-arranged layout. Landscaped with gardens, the further one strolls into its interior, the more serene one feels.The first courtyard contains an elaborate wooden arch nine meters high covered with glazed tiles that dates back to the 17th century. In the center of the second courtyard, a stone arch stands with two steles on both sides. On one stele is the script of a famous calligrapher named Mi Fu of the Song dynasty; the other is from Dong Qichang, a calligrapher of the Ming dynasty. Their calligraphy because of such elegant yet powerful characters is considered to be a great treasure in the art of handwriting. At the entrance to the third courtyard is a hall that contains many steles from ancient times. As visitors enter this courtyard, they will see the Xingxin Tower, a place where Muslims come to attend prayer services. A ‘Phoenix’ placed in the fourth courtyard, the principal pavilion of this great mosque complex, contains the Prayer Hall, the surrounding walls of which are covered with colored designs. This Hall can easily hold 1,000 people at a time and according to traditional custom, prayer services are held five times everyday respectively at dawn, noon, afternoon, dusk and night. Since the original mosque does not exist, there is no way to determine it’s original qibla direction. However, if the newer buildings maintained the original Qibla, then it seems to face 273.6 degrees which faces the Between Qibla.