Buildings of brick and tile

1The Emin Minaret, Turpan

Here are three examples of مېمارچىلىق (architecture). The Emin Minaret, which stands by a mosque in Turpan, was started in 1777 and completed one year later. At 44 metres it is the tallest minaret in China.

Local craftsmen built it from local materials. The outside is sun-dried yellow brick, laid in repeating geometric and floral patterns such as stylized flowers and rhombuses. The tower is over 14 metres across at the base and narrows to 2.8 metres at the top.

2The Afaq Khoja Mausoleum, Kashgar

The Afaq Khoja Mausoleum, about 5 km northeast of the centre of Kashgar, was first built around 1640. A 17-metre dome sits at its centre, with four corner minarets decorated with stripes and arabesque floral patterns.

The tombs are decorated with blue glazed tiles. The prayer halls rest on wooden beams, with muqarnas on the capitals of their columns.

3The Id Kah Mosque

The Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar was built in 1442. Its present golden-brick structure was built in 1798 and expanded to its current size in 1838. It combines features of Central Asian and West Asian architecture and, to a lesser extent, Chinese architecture.