Xi’an Daxuexi Alley Mosque: Historical and Architectural Study

Abstract

As a part of ongoing research on representative Muslim architecture, including Chinese Mosques, this paper seeks to shed light on the cultural development and artistic features of ancient architecture of Chinese Muslims. The objective of this paper is to explore the characteristics of design and architecture of Chinese mosques. This article first depicts mosque history and architectural characteristics (planning, direction, internal structure, material, art performance and construction subsidiary, etc.). The mosque under consideration has a long history since its earliest construction during the Tang dynasty. It consists of a group of buildings forming introverted courtyard enclosed by halls and external walls which are known as Siheyuan. Chinese mosques are characterized by architectural forms different from the Islamic world architecture. Chinese Islamic architecture blends Islamic culture and content with traditional local Chinese heritage. This particular mosque is considered a typical ancient mosque, not only in Xi'an but also in China in general.

On The Profiling of Air Leakage Infiltration Pattern across Chinese Vernacular Buildings

“…It is not uncommon to classify these vernacular buildings into palaces, worship centers or monuments and pagodas to show homogeneity. Several literature exits to emphasize that Chinese vernacular buildings portray seeming unifying congruencies of variation with respect to owner's status and affiliation like emperor's buildings, religious buildings, public use and low-class society owner [7][8][9] . As a form of variants not necessarily on the basis of status and affiliation, there are classifications linked to geographic and regional narratives on the ethnic sense and yearly temperature profiles [10] .…”