24/40.- Xian, Great Mosque

The Great Mosque of Xian is one of the oldest and largest Muslim Mosques in China. As early as the 7th century a mosque used to stand on the same spot, but the current mosque was begun in 1293 by the naval admiral Haiji Cheng Ho.

Its current layout is from the Ming and Qing Dynasties (17th and 18th centuries). The courtyard and some of the buildings are open to the public, but some of the praying areas are for Muslims only.

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