Afaq Khoja Mausoleum

The Afaq Khoja Mausoleum is a mid-17th-century mosque and tomb complex on the outskirts of Kashgar in Xinjiang, China, built to house the remains of the Sufi leader Afaq Khoja. It is one of the most prominent religious monuments in the Kashgar area.

The complex comprises a central domed mausoleum, an adjoining mosque and a minaret, set within a walled courtyard and cemetery. The architectural character includes glazed tile decoration and carved stonework typical of Central Asian Islamic sites.

Constructed in the mid-17th century to enshrine Afaq Khoja, the site has served as a pilgrimage destination and a family mausoleum for his descendants. It has remained an active religious site and focal point for local devotional practices.

The mausoleum stands east of Kashgar city in Xinjiang, within the Kashgar prefecture, and is accessible from the city by road. It is part of the broader historic landscape of Kashgar’s old city and surrounding rural areas.

• Local names and significance: Known locally as the Tomb of Afaq Khoja or the Aba Khoja Mausoleum; it is an important religious and cultural site for Uyghur Muslims in the Kashgar region.
• Peak times: Busy during religious festivals and local pilgrimages, so expect crowds on major Muslim holidays and Fridays.

What to See #

• Main mausoleum: A mausoleum chamber built around the mid-17th century that contains the tomb of the Sufi leader Afaq Khoja and several members of his family; the central domed tomb is the focal point of the complex.
• Mosque and minaret: A mosque and freestanding minaret with glazed tile decoration that form part of the complex and face the main courtyard; these structures are used for ritual and communal functions.
• Cemetery and compound: An adjacent cemetery and walled compound that together form a pilgrimage site and local place of veneration in the Kashgar area.