📜 About & history
The Artux Grand Mosque is among the earliest documented mosques in Xinjiang. Historical sources record that the Karakhanid ruler Oghulchak Khan (reigning from around 893 AD) permitted Muslim traders to build a mosque in the town of Artux, just outside Kashgar, in the period before his own nephew, Satuq Bughra Khan, secretly converted to Islam and later Islamized the ruling house. The historic mosque was largely destroyed in the devastating 1902 Turkestan earthquake (also called the Artush or Kashgar earthquake), which killed thousands in the city. Sources describe it as 'the first of its kind in Xinjiang', tying it directly to the earliest spread of Islam into the Kashgar region.
🕌 Prayer & visiting
The mosque serves the local Muslim community for the five daily prayers and Friday Jumu'ah. Given Artux's location within Xinjiang, non-Muslim visitors should check locally in advance, as access to religious sites in the region can vary.
📍 Address
🇨🇳 Inside China use Baidu or Amap; Google Maps needs a VPN.
🚇 How to reach the mosque
Local city buses serve the old town area of Artux; ask the driver for the stop nearest the old mosque quarter.
There is no distinct Arab expat district in Artux; it is easily reached from Kashgar, which has larger Muslim communities and halal dining options.
Artux is a small city just north of Kashgar (about 30-40 minutes by car), with the mosque near the old town center.
Artux is a small, quiet city; nearby Kashgar is a better base for lodging and onward travel.