Xi'an Büyük Cami

Xi’an Büyük Camii aynı zamanda Huajuexiang Camii olarak da adlandırılır. Yerel Müslümanlar buna Dongdasi, yani Doğu Büyük Camii der. Xi’an Büyük Camii, yüzlerce yıldır Xi’an’ın Müslüman topluluğuna hizmet eden huzurlu ve tarihi bir camidir. Çin’in en büyük ve en iyi korunmuş antik camisi olması sebebiyle, Xi’an Büyük Camii'nin binaları, Çin ve Arap tarzlarının büyüleyici bir birleşimidir. Xi’an Büyük Camii, UNESCO İslami Miras Listesi'ne eklendi 1985.

Xi’an Büyük Camii tarafından toplanan bir taş levhaya kazınmış tarihi kayıtlara göre, there was a mosque built in Tang Dynasty capital Chang’an (today’s Xi’an) in 742 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Ancak, this is the not the proof that Xian’s Great Mosque was built at the current location in 742 because the area of the Great Mosque was where the Royal City of Chang’an was located during the Tang Dynasty. The Royal City was where Tang Empire’s government offices located and places of worships were not allowed inside Chang’an’s Royal city.

Xian’s Muslim community was formed during the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) when Muslims enjoyed much higher social status than Han Chinese. Muslims played an important role in helping the founding of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Bugünkü Xian Müslüman mahallesinde, katkılarını onurlandırmak için Xian Büyük Camii dahil yedi cami inşa edildi. Xian Büyük Camii, Qing Hanedanı döneminde yenilenme ve genişletilme geçirdi (1644-1911).

Büyük Camii, caminin batı ucundaki ana namaz salonuna çıkan ardışık dört avludan oluşur. Her avluda merkezi bir anıt bulunur, örneğin bir pavyon, bir taş kapı veya kule. Toplam alan bitmiştir 12,000 metrekare.

İlk avluda, her iki tarafında iki heykeleli ejderha taşı tableti bulunan ahşap bir anıt kemer vardır. Kemer dokuz metre yüksekliğindedir, ana kapı ve iki küçük yan kapıdan oluşur. 17. yüzyıla kadar uzanır. Kemer kırmızıya boyanmış, zarif oymalarla boyandı ve birkaç kırmızı ahşap sütunla desteklenmiştir. Three chambers stand either side, in which now is displayed some furniture preserved from the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Walking across the Three Room Hall, on which the Chinese Name of the mosque is written, is the second courtyard. A stone gate stands in the middle, four Chinese characters “Tian Jian Zai Zi” are carved on the gate, meaning Allah is watching here and now. Further west, there are two stone steles. On the steles are famous calligraphic writings, the one to the north is from a famous Song Dynasty Muslim calligrapher, Mi Fu, and other one is from Dong Qichang, a Ming Dynasty calligrapher.

Standing in the center of the third courtyard, is a 3-storied octagonal tower in traditional Chinese architecture, serving as the minaret of the mosque. The faded color of the tower tells that it has been standing in wind and rain for long. Precious Ming and Qing cultural relics such as calligraphies and paintings are preserved in the halls flanking this courtyard.

Passing through the stone path of the fourth courtyard, is the One Truth Pavilion. The pavilion is said to be built during the Qing Dynasty. Because the pavilion looks like a phoenix spreading its wings, it is also called Phoenix Pavilion. It blocks a direct view to the most important building of the mosque, the prayer hall. Beyond the Phoenix Pavilion are two small pools, now containing fountains.

The Prayer Hall is located on the west end of the entire complex. It covers 1300 square meters and can seat more than 1000 people to worship at a time. The ceiling of the prayer hall is decorated with over 600 colored panels where Koran was carved 600 yıl önce. The walls, the gate and panels of the prayer hall are decorated with patterns of trailing plants and Arabic letters.