The ancient city of Xian lies at the end or start of the Silk Road, depending how you look at it.
The Silk Road was, in fact, a broad collection of routes that connected the Middle East with China and the highly valued arts and products of China were packed onto camels, or dromedaries, for the long journey across deserts and mountains.
Not surprisingly, there was, and is, a sizeable Islamic community at Xian. A large and historic mosque looks, at first glance, like a Chinese temple but it is very definitely a mosque. The Chinese architecture and decorations are beautiful and Islamic inscriptions are prominent in many places.
However, no English translations are provided. This picture shows the inscription over the entrance to the main prayer hall. Can anyone translate?
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©Phillip Bruce 2009.
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