Jinan Qingzhen Nanda Mosque

Jinan Qingzhen Nanda Mosque

Jinan Qingzhen Nanda Mosque is a cultural relic protection unit of Shandong Province.

The original site of Nanda Mosque was in Wumanla Lane at the top of Lishan Mountain in Jinan, and the year of its establishment is unknown. In the first year of the Yuanshun era of the Yuan Dynasty (1295 AD), it was relocated to its current address, at which time it only had “several halls.” During the Xuande era of the Ming Dynasty, the then-imam of Nanda Mosque reorganized religious affairs, revitalizing the Muslim community in Jinan. (In 1436 AD), the foundation was expanded, walls were built, and the prayer hall was enlarged, giving Nanda Mosque its initial form. In the seventh year of the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty (1492 AD), Chen Xi served as the imam of Nanda Mosque, leading the Muslim community in Jinan to greatly expand the temple’s foundation, enlarge the main prayer hall, establish north and south lecture halls, quiet rooms, ablution facilities, and more. The orientation of the mosque’s entrance was also changed from facing south to facing east. From then on, Nanda Mosque began to exhibit the architectural characteristics of Chinese Islamic buildings, becoming a large-scale ancient architectural complex. Since then, Nanda Mosque has undergone multiple renovations and expansions during the Ming Jiajing and Wanli eras, the Qing Jiaqing, Daoguang, and Tongzhi eras, as well as the early Republican period, gradually reaching perfection.

The Nanda Qingzhen Mosque strictly adheres to some fundamental principles of Islam in terms of architectural function, orientation, and interior decoration, while its layout and form distinctly reflect the features of traditional Chinese architecture. The entire mosque is centered around the Moon-Watching Tower and is divided into a two-courtyard quadrangle compound. The whole complex is neatly arranged and solemnly organized, fully demonstrating the symmetrical beauty of traditional Chinese quadrangle courtyards. In terms of design, Nanda Mosque also features a blend of Chinese and Western architectural elements. For example, the minaret has an Arabic-style domed roof on the lower level, while the upper level is purely in the style of traditional Chinese architecture.

A historic Chinese Islamic mosque. Located on Lǐbài Sì Xiàng (Mosque Lane) in the Xiguan area of old Jinan City, Shandong Province. It is said that the mosque was originally built in Wumanla Lane in the late Tang Dynasty, but this cannot be confirmed. According to the "Lǐbài Sì Bēi" (Mosque Stele) preserved within the mosque from Lìchuān Prefecture, Lìchén County, it states that in the first year of the Yuanshun era of the Yuan Dynasty (1295), Mubalisha, the Salt Transport Commissioner of the Shandong East Road, was ordered to convert the original mosque into a salt transport office and relocated the mosque to the west of Luoyuan Gate and the east of Jinjiangou—its current location. It was later renovated in the sixth year of the Xuande era of the Ming Dynasty (1426), further expanded in the eighth year of the Hongzhi era (1495), and underwent several repairs and expansions during the Qing Jiaqing and Daoguang eras through the Republican period. Nanda Mosque faces east and covers an area of approximately 6,330 square meters. The entire structure is aligned along a central axis, which includes the main gate, the Moon-Watching Tower, and the main prayer hall. On both sides are auxiliary structures such as ablution rooms, lecture halls, and the imam’s office. In front of the main gate stands a large screen wall, about 6 meters long and 5 meters high. The main gate has three bays and rises into a tower, with the upper level of the gatehouse featuring a minaret. The minaret is three bays wide (about 8 meters), with a single-eave hipped roof covered in black tiles and simple upturned and projecting brackets. It is 6 meters deep. The mosque complex is divided into two courtyards. The front courtyard contains the ablution room. About 3 meters up a flight of steps from the front courtyard is the Moon-Watching Tower. A stone stele in the gateway courtyard bears an inscription of 155 characters over 9 lines, with characters as large as fists. At the end of the inscription is carved “Authored by Chen Enmu, the imam of this mosque,” dating from the seventh year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1528). The Moon-Watching Tower above the corridor is spacious and bright, facing westward toward the moon and eastward toward the main prayer hall. Passing through the corridor leads to the front courtyard of the main prayer hall. The main prayer hall is built on a 4.2-meter-high platform and consists of a portico, front hall, and rear hall. The hall is five bays wide and six bays deep. The surrounding columns are slender and tall, adorned with flame-shaped wooden arched doors. The front porch of the hall was added during the Qing Dynasty, while the front hall itself is a Ming Dynasty structure. The interior is spacious and lofty, capable of accommodating over 600 worshippers for prayer simultaneously. The rear hall has six hardwood doors on the north and south sides, each about 4 meters high and 1 meter wide, with lattice windows intricately carved with verses from the Quran. The craftsmanship is exquisite and unique. The mosque houses two large incense burners and eight wooden plaques, including one from the Ming Dynasty hung prominently in the main hall, inscribed with the word “Qingzhen” (Islamic Mosque), written in 1640 by Ningyang Prince Fu of the Ming Dynasty. There are also seven stone inscriptions from the Ming and Qing periods, the most significant being the 1495 "Record of the Renovation of the Jinan Prefecture Mosque" by Liu Zan, the 1528 "Láifù Míng" (Return Inscription) by Chen Si, and the 1810 "Record of the Renovation of the Mosque" from the Qing Dynasty, all of which hold important academic value. The mosque is simple and elegant, and is the oldest mosque in Jinan. It was renovated with government support in the 1980s and is now listed as a key cultural relic protection unit of Jinan City, Shandong Province.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units