Zharkent Mosque

The mosque at Zharkent was built between 1887 and 1892 for the local Uyghur community, funded by a merchant and designed by a Chinese architect from Beijing, and the result is unlike any other mosque in Central Asia: a timber structure in the form of a Chinese temple, with sweeping upturned eaves, painted brackets and a pagoda-like gate, joined with wooden pegs rather than nails, while the plan and the mihrab follow Islamic requirements and the decorative programme mixes Chinese motifs with Islamic ornament and Central Asian carving. It ceased to function as a mosque in the Soviet period and now operates as an architectural museum. The town sits close to the Khorgos border crossing.

What you actually see

• The Chinese roof form - upturned eaves and painted bracket work.
• The timber joinery - the structure built without nails.
• The gateway - the pagoda-form entrance to the compound.
• Mixed ornament - Chinese, Islamic and Central Asian decoration together.

When to go

April to October for the most comfortable weather; summer in the Ili valley is very hot. The building is a museum with set hours, closed on some weekdays, so check before travelling.

Honest expectations

It functions as a museum rather than a mosque and the interior is set up accordingly. Zharkent is a long drive from Almaty, around five hours. Opening hours are limited and inconsistent. Interpretation is mostly in Kazakh and Russian.

Nearby

The Khorgos border crossing lies east; Charyn canyon is west.