The Mosque in China

This talk examines the oldest mosques and selected famous ones through extant buildings and textual records in China, demonstrating their uniquely Chinese architecture.

Nancy Steinhardt, Professor, East Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Pennsylvania

The first Muslims came to China in the Tang dynasty (618-907) and mosques were built at the same time. China’s oldest mosques survive in coastal cities populated by Muslim traders in the Song dynasty.

This talk examines the oldest mosques and selected famous ones through extant buildings and textual records. It will demonstrate that even though every necessary feature for Muslim worship is present in the mosques, they are almost purely Chinese building complexes. It will be suggested that the ability of mosque and Chinese architecture to converge without compromising the beliefs of the one or the structural principles of the other was a major reason for the survival of both through thirteen centuries.

Event Contact: ieas@berkeley.edu, 510-642-2809