Mazar worship, a common practice for divine favors

The Uygur word "mazar" is borrowed from Arabic language. Literally meaning "a place for visit", it usually refers to the tombs of Islamic saints or famous people.

Several hundred of these tombs, mythical or real, are scattered around the deserts and oases of Xinjiang, especially in the southern and eastern parts.

Mazars in Xinjiang can be divided into two kinds: related or unrelated to Islam. The first kind include tombs of people who contributed to the spread of Islam in Xinjiang and the other kind includes mazars of famous scholars.