The Old Town in Kashgar still occupies the center of town and is a maze of narrow streets and alleys. Though the authorities are slowly cleaning it up and restoring the walls (not entirely sympathetically), it is still home to a large number of traditional Ughur families. At the heart of the city is the Id Kah Mosque (as with the other mosques in China, photography was not permitted inside the mosque) -- built in 1442, it's quiet gardens provide a peaceful respite off the bustling central square.

The Abakh Hoja Tomb and its precincts is one of the holiest Islamic shrines in Xinjiang and, indeed, China as a whole. In the 17th century, Abakh Hoja was the powerful ruler of Kashgar and the surrounding provinces who was revered as a prophet. His father, Yusup, travelled widely in Arabia and was a respected teacher of the Koran, and originally the mausoleum was built for him. However, Abakh's fame was the greater, and on his death in 1693 the tomb was renamed after him. Eventually five generations of the family were buried here and their tombs are each covered in colored saddle cloths. The building itself is an architectural treasure in Kashgar and is very reminiscent of similar buildings built in Persia and Central Asia.