The mosque was originally constructed during the Toghon Temür reign of the Yuan dynasty. It was rebuilt in 1391 and expanded three times during the Ming dynasty. The mosque then went through four renovations during the Qing dynasty. On 26 August 1908, the Shanghai municipal government listed the mosque as a cultural heritage. The mosque underwent renovation again in 1985.[1]
Architecture
Songjiang Mosque prayer hall
The mosque covers an area of 4,900 m2. It was constructed in traditional Hui Muslim Chinese palace architecture with Arabic calligraphy.[2] The mosque consists of the mail hall, prayer niche, corridor, two sermon halls and a bathroom. In the east of the mosque lies the Bunker Gate Tower for Muslims to do prayer. The prayer hall is located in the opposite of the tower in the west of the mosque. It is divided into the front and the back hall, with characteristics of Ming and Yuan architecture respectively.[3]
