Tower-shaped Islamic Tombs Discovered In NingxiaA group of tower-shaped tombs, believed to have been built during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), have been discovered in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.They are the first tombs of the kind ever found in this Muslim- inhabited region. Experts said that the stone tombs belong to Islamic followers. They range in height from three to five tiers, and most are carved with designs of lotus flowers and clouds, or engraved with Arabian characters. A two-meter-tall granite stele, carved with both Chinese and Arabian characters, was found 80 meters northeast of the tomb group. Local people said that the tomb group originally covered 0.2 hectares, but many of them were later buried under mud and sand. The discovery will benefit the study of the history, culture and arts of the Hui nationality. |
| Please visit People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/ |