Emin Minaret

The Emin Minaret stands by the Mosque located in Turfan, Xinjiang, China. At 44 meters it is the tallest minaret in China. The Qing Dynasty conquered this largely region in the 1750s by defeating the Mongols and the Uyghurs with their superior weaponry in a series of battles. As conquerors, they ruled the local population with a light hand and were tolerant of the Muslim religion.

The minaret was started in 1777 during the reign of and was completed only one year later. It was financed by local leaders and built to honor the exploits of a local Turfan general, Emin Khoja, hence the name "Emin". The Emin Minaret is located along the ancient . Nearby is the site of the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves. The minaret has no stories. Inside, the spiraling internal support serves as a winding 72-step staircase to the top. The ground floor of a minaret is always square while the higher parts may be of varying shapes, including round, square, or octagonal. The minaret is the most distinctive feature of any mosque and this is no different in the case of the Emin Minaret.