Construction of the mosque was completed in 1392, under an order of
Hongwu Emperor of the
Ming Dynasty issued in 1388. During the
Xuande Emperor rule, following the mosque's destruction by fire,
Zheng He appealed for the mosque to undergo renovation and the first significant repairs took place in 1430. Further expansion and repairs were commissioned by the
Jiajing Emperor in the mid-sixteenth century. Other repairs occurred in 1492, 1877, 1879, 1957, 1982, 1984, and 2002. By the late 19th century, the mosque site was reduced from to a mere as a consequence of the
Taiping Rebellion and to reduce the taxes owed by the mosque. The current structure was constructed in the late
Qing Dynasty and its area has been reduced to . In 2007, the mosque underwent reparation and renovation with the support of Nanjing municipal government. In 2014, the government added the adjacent primary school into the mosque area, thus doubling its area. == Architecture ==