Beijing's most historical and majestic mosque, The Niujie (Ox Street [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]), is situated on Niujie Street in the city's Xuanwu District. First built back in 996, the mosque has a history that stretches back over a thousand years, in which time it has undergone numerous refits and extensions, and has greeted Muslims from all over the world to worship. The mosque covers an area of over 6000 square meters (7176 square yards), and is structurally based on traditional Chinese wooden palaces, yet adopts a typical Arabic-style of decoration. There are no human or animal figures among these decorations as these are considered taboo in Islam.
Unlike south-facing Buddhist temples [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], the mosque points towards Mekka, the holy land of Islam, in the west. The layout of the mosque is symmetrical and compact. The entrance gate is fronted by a large wall with a white marble pedestal, which stretches for around 40 meters (44 yards). A series of relief sculptures sit on the wall, depicting images of happiness and fortune. After passing through the entrance gate, visitors are faced by the Watching Moon Tower; a hexagonal, two-storied structure, reaching over 10 meters (33 feet) tall and housed under a golden-glazed roof. The tower is so named because it was used by the imam to observe the position of the moon to determine times for fasting.
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Unlike south-facing Buddhist temples [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], the mosque points towards Mekka, the holy land of Islam, in the west. The layout of the mosque is symmetrical and compact. The entrance gate is fronted by a large wall with a white marble pedestal, which stretches for around 40 meters (44 yards). A series of relief sculptures sit on the wall, depicting images of happiness and fortune. After passing through the entrance gate, visitors are faced by the Watching Moon Tower; a hexagonal, two-storied structure, reaching over 10 meters (33 feet) tall and housed under a golden-glazed roof. The tower is so named because it was used by the imam to observe the position of the moon to determine times for fasting.
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