43:
173:
religion teachers who spoke standard Arabic, which turned out to be the main medium through which we were able to communicate with
Muslims in China. After Prayer, we were led to a second-floor classroom in a building that flanked the mosque, and in the classroom we took our seats. After a short wait, about six or seven young men with bashful smiles walked in and out of the room, reluctant about something. They didn’t say much, and when they did speak, we didn’t understand their words.
234:
325:
240:
165:
than 800 years ago; but to do so our buses needed to stop on a crowded thoroughfare. From there we walked like army ants through narrow streets, as the local folks watched a hundred
American Muslims streaming through their neighborhood. Some people pointed toward us; many waved and smiled. Others kept their solid faces toward us, wondering who we were, what we wanted, and where we were from.
245:
188:
tribulations of the “Cultural
Revolution,” China’s Muslims had obviously returned. They did not need to speak a single word about their faith: we saw their handiwork and listened to their songs that affirmed their sense of devotion. It was sacred art conveying to strangers—none of us speakers of their native language—the quintessence of faith in a way no other manner could dare attempt. "
99:
971:
184:
But there was something else about this experience that added puissance to our feelings. This mosque, like most of
Lanzhou’s mosques, had been destroyed during the “Cultural Revolution” (1966-1976)—during Chairman Mao’s campaign to raze institutions, history, and artifacts that did not conform to his
172:
Inside, our generous
Chinese hosts greeted us with reverence, as if we had halos over our heads. Throughout our trip, in fact, bighearted hospitality made us feel like old friends and special guests among a people we had never known before. Later we were taken on a tour of the premises by one of the
168:
After more turns down streets and alleyways, we finally saw a tall wall standing alone, free from anything behind or before it or on its sides—a simple barrier blocking out street life from the courtyard of a magnificent mosque with familiar
Chinese architecture that popped out from nowhere. When we
180:
The song was composed of short melodies repeated in cycles, as the singers themselves swayed gently and slightly from side to side. Every third or fourth cycle, one sturdy voice projected through the rhythm with deep sonority and passion, as if an unveiling had occurred. With time at a standstill,
176:
In a moment, though, the language barrier was removed. Standing before us in what looked like loose choir formation, the men and students of the religion school fell silent and turned their gaze downward. They then broke into a melodic song praising God and His
Prophet (God bless him and grant him
164:
In and around
Lanzhou, a bustling city of three and half million people, there are more than 60 mosques (more than three thousand in the province of Gansu). The next day, one of the first things we wanted to do (after the museum outing) was to visit the central mosque of the city, established more
152:
Lanzhou We flew into
Lanzhou from Beijing in the afternoon. Three buses waited for us to take us to our hotels. We were looking forward to getting some rest or to quietly gaze at the countryside that separated the airport from the ancient city, said to be located in the east-west center of China.
156:
Dozens of brick-baking kilns smoked along side the narrow highways. Small trucks overburdened with stacks of red bricks sputtered on the shoulder of the road. Happy-looking people sat on straw crates with bowls of steaming noodles in their hands. The greenery beyond and between the kilns was
160:
By dusk, we finally arrived in the city itself, crossing a large well-lit iron bridge that traversed the Yellow River, one of the world’s greatest waterways. It was on the banks of this sediment-rich river that
Chinese civilization began millennia ago, confirming the firm bond between human
187:
The mosque, however, has since been rebuilt. Its architecture—in a manner we would witness repeatedly throughout the trip—bore distinctly Chinese motifs in a profoundly Islamic synthesis: Chinese archways, pagoda-like roofs, and mesmerizing Chinese and Arabic calligraphy. Decades after the
65:
61:
57:
53:
47:
286:– You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
181:
their song achieved a spiritual cadence that evoked in many of us our own affirmation of God’s Oneness and the love of His beloved Prophet Muhammad in a manner that, personally, I had never dreamt of before.
157:
surprising because of the obvious fecundity of the land and its bold contrast with the structures of the brick-making industry, especially the ochre patches of terrain from which raw resources were scraped.
78:
169:
walked beneath the archway toward the mosque, we saw and heard things—a new norm and culture—that reaffirmed the very impetus that sent us to travel through the earth, as the Quran states with frequency.
110:
1045:
988:{{Information |Description=Great post by Ibrahim N. Abusharif on Lanzhou We flew into Lanzhou from Beijing in the afternoon. Three buses waited for us
970:
965:
69:
42:
666:
596:
560:
738:
1206:
1098:
This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it.
686:
505:
293:
900:
866:
829:
795:
758:
722:
650:
544:
489:
461:
446:
433:
694:
679:
616:
580:
518:
406:
389:
1085:
255:
1101:
If the file has been modified from its original state, some details may not fully reflect the modified file.
1035:
1025:
998:
The following pages on the English Knowledge (XXG) use this file (pages on other projects are not listed):
1251:
292:– If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the
1120:
252:
701:
1287:
981:
916:
345:
118:
468:
453:
1110:
149:
353:, who confirmed that it was available on Flickr under the stated license on that date.
1277:
1233:
1127:
1002:
196:
105:
206:
1156:
1297:
349:
216:
1137:
333:
341:
1020:
938:
Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time.
177:
peace). I recorded the song and am replaying it now as I write.
319:
93:
143:
Flickr - Omar A. - West Cross Mosque, Langzhou, China (1).jpg
1065:
1055:
373:
Add a one-line explanation of what this file represents
1075:
83:(1,600 × 1,200 pixels, file size: 460 KB, MIME type:
137:
117:
Commons is a freely licensed media file repository.
597:
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic
702:https://www.flickr.com/photos/oansari/2851246593/
150:nawawi.org/eventsandtrips/ch_travel_log_d4.html
303:https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0
98:
309:Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0
233:
8:
269:– to copy, distribute and transmit the work
1103:
940:
454:https://www.flickr.com/photos/78327732@N00
369:
1013:The following other wikis use this file:
340:, was reviewed on 31 October 2011 by the
1329:
1321:
1313:
1305:
1295:
1285:
1275:
1267:
1259:
1249:
1241:
1231:
1223:
1215:
1204:
1196:
1188:
1180:
1172:
1164:
1153:
1145:
1135:
1125:
1115:
1000:
914:
898:
880:
864:
843:
827:
809:
793:
772:
756:
736:
720:
664:
648:
630:
614:
594:
578:
558:
542:
503:
487:
420:
404:
387:
384:
365:
358:
148:Great post by Ibrahim N. Abusharif on
1105:
7:
929:
334:
332:
256:Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
244:
239:
1096:
378:
372:
230:
207:West Cross Mosque, Langzhou, China
130:
76:
377:
330:This image, originally posted to
1147:Date and time of data generation
363:
323:
280:Under the following conditions:
251:This file is licensed under the
243:
238:
232:
97:
31:
21:
360:
14:
667:file available on the internet
359:
26:
1:
36:
1264:2.9708557128906 APEX (f/2.8)
385:Items portrayed in this file
1323:Focal plane resolution unit
1217:Date and time of digitizing
1032:Usage on arz.wikipedia.org
1351:
1334:One-chip color area sensor
1082:Usage on zh.wikipedia.org
1072:Usage on www.wikidata.org
1062:Usage on uz.wikipedia.org
1052:Usage on eu.wikipedia.org
1042:Usage on bn.wikipedia.org
1017:Usage on ar.wikipedia.org
294:same or compatible license
1190:File change date and time
930:
185:cultural plan for China.
16:
1315:Focal plane Y resolution
1307:Focal plane X resolution
362:
260:
104:This is a file from the
1282:Center weighted average
987:
212:
202:
195:
192:
140:
108:. Information from its
1225:Image compression mode
219:from The Bay Area, USA
161:settlement and water.
111:description page there
46:Size of this preview:
1261:Maximum land aperture
1174:Horizontal resolution
966:02:12, 14 August 2010
1220:09:45, 30 April 2002
1193:09:45, 30 April 2002
1150:09:45, 30 April 2002
1121:Canon PowerShot S100
739:Canon PowerShot S100
197:30 April 2002, 09:45
70:1,600 × 1,200 pixels
1198:Y and C positioning
1182:Vertical resolution
1107:Camera manufacturer
275:– to adapt the work
52:Other resolutions:
1292:Flash did not fire
434:author name string
66:1,280 × 960 pixels
62:1,024 × 768 pixels
1338:
1337:
1132:1/125 sec (0.008)
1009:Global file usage
991:
581:copyright license
525:12 September 2008
371:
357:
356:
223:
222:
126:
125:
106:Wikimedia Commons
32:Global file usage
1342:
1310:7,766.9902912621
1269:Subject distance
1104:
978:
901:Flickr photo ID
848:
777:
704:
699:
695:described at URL
689:
684:
545:copyright status
526:
523:
519:publication date
471:
466:
456:
451:
441:
438:
338:
336:
327:
326:
320:
316:
313:
310:
307:
304:
296:as the original.
253:Creative Commons
247:
246:
242:
241:
236:
235:
198:
144:
138:
122:
101:
100:
94:
88:
86:
73:
58:640 × 480 pixels
54:320 × 240 pixels
48:800 × 600 pixels
1350:
1349:
1345:
1344:
1343:
1341:
1340:
1339:
1318:7,741.935483871
1246:3.6147155761719
1238:6.9657897949219
1092:
1007:
999:
992:
984:
976:
932:
931:
928:
927:
926:
925:
924:
923:
922:
921:
919:
907:
906:
905:
903:
892:
891:
890:
889:
888:
887:
886:
885:
883:
873:
872:
871:
869:
858:
857:
856:
855:
854:
853:
852:
851:
849:
846:
836:
835:
834:
832:
821:
820:
819:
818:
817:
816:
815:
814:
812:
802:
801:
800:
798:
787:
786:
785:
784:
783:
782:
781:
780:
778:
775:
765:
764:
763:
761:
750:
749:
748:
747:
746:
745:
744:
743:
741:
729:
728:
727:
725:
714:
713:
712:
711:
710:
709:
708:
707:
706:
705:
700:
697:
691:
690:
685:
682:
673:
672:
671:
669:
657:
656:
655:
653:
642:
641:
640:
639:
638:
637:
636:
635:
633:
623:
622:
621:
619:
608:
607:
606:
605:
604:
603:
602:
601:
599:
587:
586:
585:
583:
572:
571:
570:
569:
568:
567:
566:
565:
563:
551:
550:
549:
547:
536:
535:
534:
533:
532:
531:
530:
529:
528:
527:
524:
521:
512:
511:
510:
508:
496:
495:
494:
492:
481:
480:
479:
478:
477:
476:
475:
474:
473:
472:
467:
464:
458:
457:
452:
449:
443:
442:
439:
436:
427:
426:
425:
423:
413:
412:
411:
409:
398:
397:
396:
395:
394:
392:
376:
375:
374:
324:
318:
317:
314:
311:
308:
305:
302:
301:
259:
248:
229:
224:
142:
135:
128:
127:
116:
115:
114:is shown below.
90:
84:
82:
75:
74:
51:
12:
11:
5:
1348:
1346:
1336:
1335:
1332:
1331:Sensing method
1328:
1327:
1324:
1320:
1319:
1316:
1312:
1311:
1308:
1304:
1303:
1300:
1294:
1293:
1290:
1284:
1283:
1280:
1274:
1273:
1270:
1266:
1265:
1262:
1258:
1257:
1254:
1248:
1247:
1244:
1240:
1239:
1236:
1230:
1229:
1226:
1222:
1221:
1218:
1214:
1213:
1210:
1203:
1202:
1199:
1195:
1194:
1191:
1187:
1186:
1183:
1179:
1178:
1175:
1171:
1170:
1167:
1163:
1162:
1159:
1152:
1151:
1148:
1144:
1143:
1140:
1134:
1133:
1130:
1124:
1123:
1118:
1114:
1113:
1108:
1095:
1091:
1090:
1089:
1088:
1080:
1079:
1078:
1070:
1069:
1068:
1066:Siguan masjidi
1060:
1059:
1058:
1056:Xiguan meskita
1050:
1049:
1048:
1046:শিকুয়ান মসজিদ
1040:
1039:
1038:
1030:
1029:
1028:
1023:
1011:
1010:
1006:
1005:
997:
996:
995:
990:
989:
986:
982:
979:
975:1,600 × 1,200
973:
968:
963:
959:
958:
955:
952:
949:
946:
943:
936:
935:
920:
915:
913:
912:
911:
910:
909:
908:
904:
899:
897:
896:
895:
894:
893:
884:
881:
879:
878:
877:
876:
875:
874:
870:
865:
863:
862:
861:
860:
859:
850:
844:
842:
841:
840:
839:
838:
837:
833:
828:
826:
825:
824:
823:
822:
813:
810:
808:
807:
806:
805:
804:
803:
799:
794:
792:
791:
790:
789:
788:
779:
773:
771:
770:
769:
768:
767:
766:
762:
757:
755:
754:
753:
752:
751:
742:
737:
735:
734:
733:
732:
731:
730:
726:
721:
719:
718:
717:
716:
715:
693:
692:
678:
677:
676:
675:
674:
670:
665:
663:
662:
661:
660:
659:
658:
654:
651:source of file
649:
647:
646:
645:
644:
643:
634:
631:
629:
628:
627:
626:
625:
624:
620:
615:
613:
612:
611:
610:
609:
600:
595:
593:
592:
591:
590:
589:
588:
584:
579:
577:
576:
575:
574:
573:
564:
559:
557:
556:
555:
554:
553:
552:
548:
543:
541:
540:
539:
538:
537:
517:
516:
515:
514:
513:
509:
504:
502:
501:
500:
499:
498:
497:
493:
488:
486:
485:
484:
483:
482:
462:Flickr user ID
460:
459:
445:
444:
432:
431:
430:
429:
428:
424:
421:
419:
418:
417:
416:
415:
414:
410:
405:
403:
402:
401:
400:
399:
393:
388:
386:
383:
382:
381:
380:
379:
368:
367:
364:
361:
355:
354:
328:
300:
299:
298:
297:
287:
278:
277:
276:
270:
263:You are free:
250:
249:
231:
228:
225:
221:
220:
214:
210:
209:
204:
200:
199:
194:
190:
189:
145:
136:
134:
131:
129:
124:
123:
102:
92:
91:
45:
41:
40:
39:
34:
29:
24:
19:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1347:
1333:
1330:
1325:
1322:
1317:
1314:
1309:
1306:
1301:
1299:
1296:
1291:
1289:
1286:
1281:
1279:
1278:Metering mode
1276:
1271:
1268:
1263:
1260:
1255:
1253:
1252:Exposure bias
1250:
1245:
1243:APEX aperture
1242:
1237:
1235:
1234:Shutter speed
1232:
1227:
1224:
1219:
1216:
1211:
1208:
1205:
1200:
1197:
1192:
1189:
1184:
1181:
1176:
1173:
1168:
1165:
1160:
1158:
1154:
1149:
1146:
1141:
1139:
1136:
1131:
1129:
1128:Exposure time
1126:
1122:
1119:
1116:
1112:
1109:
1106:
1102:
1099:
1093:
1087:
1084:
1083:
1081:
1077:
1074:
1073:
1071:
1067:
1064:
1063:
1061:
1057:
1054:
1053:
1051:
1047:
1044:
1043:
1041:
1037:
1034:
1033:
1031:
1027:
1024:
1022:
1019:
1018:
1016:
1015:
1014:
1008:
1004:
1003:Xiguan Mosque
1001:
993:
985:
980:
974:
972:
969:
967:
964:
961:
960:
956:
953:
950:
947:
944:
942:
941:
939:
933:
918:
902:
868:
831:
797:
760:
759:exposure time
740:
724:
723:captured with
703:
696:
688:
681:
668:
652:
632:30 April 2002
618:
598:
582:
562:
546:
520:
507:
491:
470:
463:
455:
448:
435:
408:
391:
352:
351:
347:
343:
342:administrator
339:
337:
329:
322:
321:
306:CC BY-SA 2.0
295:
291:
288:
285:
282:
281:
279:
274:
271:
268:
265:
264:
262:
261:
257:
254:
237:
226:
218:
215:
211:
208:
205:
201:
191:
186:
182:
178:
174:
170:
166:
162:
158:
154:
151:
146:
139:
132:
120:
113:
112:
107:
103:
96:
95:
89:
80:
79:Original file
71:
67:
63:
59:
55:
49:
44:
38:
35:
33:
30:
28:
25:
23:
20:
18:
15:
1272:1.474 meters
1157:focal length
1117:Camera model
1100:
1097:
1012:
937:
934:File history
830:focal length
490:published in
469:78327732@N00
348:
331:
289:
283:
272:
266:
183:
179:
175:
171:
167:
163:
159:
155:
147:
119:You can help
109:
77:
22:File history
1298:Color space
1166:Orientation
1036:مسجد شيجوان
1026:مسجد شيغوان
561:copyrighted
440:Omar Ansari
290:share alike
284:attribution
217:Omar Ansari
141:Description
1161:7.96875 mm
1086:西关清真寺 (兰州)
994:File usage
951:Dimensions
917:2851246593
882:image/jpeg
867:media type
847:millimetre
422:some value
85:image/jpeg
27:File usage
1076:Q19841057
948:Thumbnail
945:Date/Time
617:inception
227:Licensing
1201:Centered
1138:F-number
1094:Metadata
977:(460 KB)
845:7.96875
796:f-number
680:operator
366:Captions
346:reviewer
273:to remix
267:to share
258:license.
37:Metadata
1209:version
1185:180 dpi
1177:180 dpi
983:Dudubot
962:current
957:Comment
407:creator
390:depicts
370:English
350:Denniss
133:Summary
81:
1326:inches
1169:Normal
776:second
774:0.008
687:Flickr
506:Flickr
335:Flickr
213:Author
203:Source
1288:Flash
1155:Lens
1142:f/3.5
1111:Canon
1302:sRGB
1207:Exif
1021:صلاة
954:User
315:true
312:true
193:Date
17:File
1212:2.1
811:3.5
447:URL
344:or
698::
683::
522::
465::
450::
437::
68:|
64:|
60:|
56:|
50:.
1256:0
1228:3
121:.
87:)
72:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
.jpg){kind=link}