We came to Tuyoq Village through Tuyoq Canyon that cuts colourfully through the Flaming Mountains. Tuyoq is a tiny Uighur village whose livelihood depends heavily on grape growing. Unlike the larger Uighur towns, Tuyoq has largely retained its traditional character with winding dirt streets and adobe walls still holding sway over bitumen and fired brick. After a brief melon stop to cool down we strolled for an hour through the photogenic alley ways, then walked further up the valley to see the Buddhist caves carved into the cliff sides 1,700 years ago. The interiors of some of these were originally adorned with paintings but these were vandalized long ago and only a few defaced examples survive.On the hillside directly above Tuyoq sits a mazar, a symbolic tomb of the first Uighur Muslim. According to our guide book, this has been an important Muslim pilgrimage site for centuries, with seven trips here equivalent to one trip to Mecca. Even for a non-Muslim, seven visits to this beautiful village would not be too many.
