Tomb of Yusuf Khass Hajib

Tomb of Yusuf Khass Hajib

The Tomb of Yusuf Khass Hajib is a cultural tourism attraction.

Guide The Tomb of Yusuf Khass Hajib is located on Sports Road in the city, covering an area of 965 square meters. Introduction The tomb’s occupant is Yusuf Khass Hajib, a Uyghur poet and scholar from the mid-11th century. He was born in 1019 and passed away around 1080. Around the year 1070, he composed an epic poem of over 13,000 lines in Old Uyghur script titled "Kutadgu Bilig" (The Wisdom of Royal Glory). This lengthy poem is rich in content and vivid in language, covering politics, economy, literature, history, geography, mathematics, and medicine of the time. It is a significant historical document that had a profound influence on later literary creation and has been highly regarded by historians both in China and abroad.

The mausoleum faces south and has a rectangular layout. The main gate is 4.2 meters wide and 8 meters high, with two cylindrical towers, each 8.7 meters tall, flanking the entrance. The mausoleum complex consists of a burial area, a gateway structure, and the main tomb chamber. The main tomb chamber features a square exterior and a circular interior, topped with a dome, at the center of which stands a small tower. The layout is unique, grand, and decorated in a simple yet solemn style, reflecting a strong ethnic character.

Kashgar, Xinjiang