The Huaisheng Mosque
(;
also known as the Lighthouse Mosque
and the Great Mosque of Canton) is the main mosque of
Guangzhou
Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, sou ...
. Rebuilt many times over its history, it is traditionally thought to have been originally built over 1,300 years ago, which would make it one of the
oldest mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
s in the world.
[
In China, the most unusual feature of the mosque is its pointed 36 metre ]minaret
A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گلدسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generall ...
, the ''Guangta'' or ''Kwangtah''. Although this meant the "Plain Pagoda" in reference to its unadorned surface,[.] it is also sometimes taken to mean "lighthouse" and gave the mosque its alternate name.[ Somewhat similar "minimalist" minarets can be seen outside China, e.g. at the ]Khan's Mosque
Khan's Mosque in Kasimov is the oldest mosque in Central Russia. It dates from the Qasim Khanate of the 15th and 16th centuries. According to Kadir Ali, the brick mosque was built by Shahghali at some point in the mid-16th century. Others believ ...
in Kasimov
Kasimov (russian: Каси́мов; tt-Cyrl, Касыйм;, Ханкирмән,Ханкирмән, Хан-Кермень, means "Khan's fortress" historically Gorodets Meshchyorsky, Novy Nizovoy) is a town in Ryazan Oblast, Russia, located on the ...
, Russia. The mosque was visited by Tim Severin
Timothy Severin (25 September 1940 – 18 December 2020) was a British explorer, historian, and writer. Severin was noted for his work in retracing the legendary journeys of historical figures. Severin was awarded both the Founder's Meda ...
's crew of the Sohar, that sailed into Canton from Muscat
Muscat ( ar, مَسْقَط, ) is the capital and most populated city in Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the total population of Muscat Governorate was ...
in July 1981, recreating the fictional voyage of Sinbad the Sailor
Sinbad the Sailor (; ar, سندباد البحري, Sindibādu al-Bahriyy; fa, سُنباد بحری, Sonbād-e Bahri or Sindbad) is a fictional mariner and the hero of a story-cycle of Persian origin. He is described as hailing from Baghd ...
.
History
Old Chinese Muslim
Islam has been practiced in China since the 7th century CE.. Muslims are a minority group in China, representing 1.6-2 percent of the total population (21,667,000- 28,210,795) according to various estimates. Though Hui Muslims are the most num ...
manuscripts say the mosque was built in 627 by Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, a Companion of the Prophet who supposedly came on to China in the 620s. Although modern secular scholars do not find any historical evidence that Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas actually visited China, they agree that the first Muslims must have arrived to China within the 7th century, and that the major trade centers, such as Guangzhou, Quanzhou
Quanzhou, alternatively known as Chinchew, is a prefecture-level port city on the north bank of the Jin River, beside the Taiwan Strait in southern Fujian, China. It is Fujian's largest metropolitan region, with an area of and a popul ...
, and Yangzhou
Yangzhou, postal romanization Yangchow, is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province (Suzhong), East China. Sitting on the north bank of the Yangtze, it borders the provincial capital Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, ...
, ''probably'' already had their first mosques built during the Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
, even though no reliable sources attesting to their actual existence has been found so far.[
The minaret measures 36 meter in high and consists of two stories, it was the highest building in the city until the beginning of the 20th century. it was a valued unit in the Middle Ages; it was used as a light house, a wind vane, and control tower.]
It is very likely that the mosque existed during the early years of the Song dynasty
The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the res ...
. In 1349, Ramadan ibn Alauddin
Ramadan ibn Alauddin (1312―April 11, 1349, رمضان ابن علاء الدين ) was a Yuan ''darughachi'' (governor) of Luchuan Prefecture in Rongzhou, Guangxi Province, of Muslim faith and Korean provenance. He served until his death in ...
, the first named Korean Muslim, was buried in the mosque cemetery. The mosque was rebuilt in 1350 then again in 1695 after being destroyed in a fire. The Huaisheng Light Tower or minaret was built at an earlier period. As late as the 19th century, the minaret tower was one of the major landmarks of Guangzhou.[
The Tatar traveler ]Abdurreshid Ibrahim
Abdurresid Ibrahim ( tt-Cyrl, Габдрәшит Ибраһимов, Siberian Tatar. ''Әптрәшит Ипрағимов'' 1857 in Tara, Tobolsk Governorate (in today's Omsk oblast) – 1944) was a Russia-born Tatar Muslim Alim (singular o ...
who was an acquaintance of one of the Mosque's ahong
Akhund (akhoond, akhwand, akhand or akondo) ( fa, آخوند) is a Persian title or surname for Islamic scholars, common in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Azerbaijan. Other names for similar Muslim Scholar include sh ...
s, Wang Kuan, was dismissive of the claim that this mosque was built by Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas. He called it a peculiar idea:
Transportation
The mosque is accessible within walking distance south east of Ximenkou Station of Guangzhou Metro
The Guangzhou Metro () ( and ) is the rapid transit system of the city of Guangzhou in Guangdong Province of China. It is operated by the state-owned Guangzhou Metro Corporation and was the fourth metro system to be built in mainland China, af ...
.
See also
* Islam in China
Islam has been practiced in China since the 7th century CE.. Muslims are a minority group in China, representing 1.6-2 percent of the total population (21,667,000- 28,210,795) according to various estimates. Though Hui people, Hui Muslims are the ...
* List of mosques in China
This is a list of notable mosques in China. A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the religion of Islam. The first mosque in China was the Huaisheng Mosque in Guangzhou, built during the Tang dynasty in 627 CE. In of 2014 there were 39 ...
* Islamic architecture
Islamic architecture comprises the architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam. It encompasses both secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day. The Islamic world encompasses a wide geographic ar ...
& art
Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas.
There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
* Timeline of Islamic history
This timeline of Islamic history relates the Gregorian and Islamic calendars in the history of Islam. This timeline starts with the lifetime of Muhammad, which is believed by non- Muslims to be when Islam started, though not by Muslims.Esposit ...
Notes
References
External links
Article and pictures on archnet.org
{{Mosques in China
7th-century mosques
Religious buildings and structures in Guangzhou
Mosques in China
Yuexiu District
Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Guangdong