the temple of farthest China
هيكل أقاصي الصين
A temple in farthest China as Abu Ubayd al-Bakri describes: a round curtained house holding a vast seven-sided dome and a seven-mouthed well that swallows whoever leans over it; on its rim, in the Sindhind script, an inscription declares it leads to the storehouse of the first books, the history of the world, the sciences of heaven, and the treasuries of this world's marvels 1.
At a glance
- Region
- China & East Asia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Overview
A temple at the far end of China, described by Abu Ubayd al-Bakri as reported by Ibn Fadl Allah al-Umari. 1
Description
It is a round house with curtains and doors. Inside it is a great seven-sided dome. 1
In it is a well with a seven-sided mouth. The description says that whoever bends over its mouth will be drawn into it. Over its mouth is a kind of collar, written in Sindhi script, which says that it leads to the store of the first books, the history of the world, the sciences of the heavens and the treasuries of all the desires of this world. 1
What needs a source
The exact site of the temple, its date, and anything that supports this description: an additional source is needed.
Sources
- Masalik al-absar fi mamalik al-amsar — al-Umari (1924 printing), p. 226
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “the temple of farthest China”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/building/haykal-al-sin/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.