Mausoleum of Imam Asim (Molla Esad Tomb)

Molla Esad Tomb

The Molla Esad Tomb is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Introduction: The Molla Esad Tomb, also known as the Tomb of Molla Esad, is located between the old and new cities of Kuqa.

"Molla" means descendant of a saint, while "Esad" is said to be an early Islamic sage who came to Kuqa during the reign of Emperor Lizong of the Song Dynasty to spread Islam and was later buried here. The site includes a shrine complex consisting of four sections: the shrine gate, main hall, tomb gate, and tomb chamber, all decorated with green glazed bricks. It is a typical example of Islamic architecture and is quite magnificent. On the western corridor of the shrine hangs a plaque inscribed with four large characters: "Heavenly Saints of Arabia" (天方列圣). On both sides are inscriptions from the 7th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty, written by Li Fan.　

Aksu, Xinjiang

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units