Tomb of Abibai Ejimu

　　"Abibu" means "friend" in Persian, and "Ejimu" was a name used in Iran during the Qing Dynasty. Together, "Abibai Ejimu" translates to "Friend from Iran." Legend has it that during the Song Dynasty, a group of merchants came from Parhana (a city in present-day Uzbekistan) and settled in Yikesak Village, Upper Atushi Township, engaging in trade. Due to the poverty of the local villagers, these merchants gradually acquired their land through usury, reducing the impoverished villagers to being laborers on their own land, thus further worsening their living conditions. One day, Abibai Ejimu went to collect debts from one of his indebted farming households. The family was extremely poor, with almost nothing in their home. Yet, upon seeing Abibai Ejimu arrive, they borrowed two fresh corn flatbreads from a neighbor to serve him. When he realized the family truly had nothing to offer, and after setting a deadline for repayment, he prepared to leave. However, the host insisted on keeping him and mentioned that meat was being cooked for the guest. Tempted by the aroma of meat wafting from the house, Abibai Ejimu stayed. But after two or three hours, the host still hadn’t served the meat. Annoyed, Abibai Ejimu stood up to leave, at which point the host sheepishly explained: in an effort to honor their distinguished guest, the poor villagers had slaughtered their only valuable possession — a donkey. However, knowing that their Muslim guest did not eat donkey meat, they hesitated to serve it. Touched by the villagers’ kindness and sincerity, Abibai Ejimu immediately forgave all the debts of this household. Upon returning, he gathered the other merchants to discuss ways to help the villagers and ultimately canceled the debts of all the villagers. His actions deeply moved everyone, and from then on, he was even more respected and referred to as “Abibai Ejimu” — the Friend from Iran.

　　The Tomb of Abibai Ejimu was built in the late 19th century. The structure is 13 meters wide, 17.5 meters deep, and the main tomb chamber stands 17.5 meters high. The tomb complex consists of a gate, courtyard, main burial chamber, and side rooms, covering a total area of 227.5 square meters.

　　The tomb building is designed in Islamic style, featuring a circular dome covered with glazed bricks, and a rectangular base constructed from brick, gypsum, sand, and mud — without any wood or steel materials. Both its structure and colorful floral decorations exhibit strong local characteristics and ethnic style, representing typical features of Uyghur architecture. It is a masterpiece of Uyghur architectural art and a precious historical and cultural heritage of the Uyghur people.

　　The Tomb of Abibai Ejimu embodies the artistry of ancient architecture in Xinjiang. It is also one of China’s well-preserved examples of Islamic-style glazed-surface mausoleum buildings, holding significant scientific and artistic value for the study of ancient architecture in the region.

　　In May 2006, the Tomb of Abibai Ejimu was approved by the State Council to be included in the sixth batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.