Niujie Mosque

Beijing, China

The oldest and most famous mosque in Beijing, built in 996 CE during the Liao Dynasty. It is a masterpiece of Sino-Islamic architecture and the center of Beijing's Hui Muslim community.

Historical Context

The Niujie Mosque was founded in 996 CE by Nazruddin, an Arab scholar who settled in Beijing (then Yanjing) during the Liao Dynasty. The mosque was expanded during the Yuan Dynasty (13th–14th centuries) when Kublai Khan's Mongol government employed thousands of Central Asian Muslims as administrators, soldiers, and artisans — many of whom settled in the Niujie (Ox Street) neighborhood. The current structures date primarily to the Ming Dynasty (15th–17th centuries), when the mosque was rebuilt in the Chinese palatial style. The complex includes a main prayer hall, a minaret disguised as a Chinese pagoda, a bathhouse, and a cemetery containing the tombs of early Arab and Persian scholars. Dur…