Al Ansar Mosque

Al Ansar Mosque occupies a room at 5 Ruelle de la Grande Cour, in the Marcreux district of Aubervilliers, in the east of the town. It is run by the AMA association, which combines daily prayer with Arabic and Quran teaching for local children. The place is wheelchair accessible, which remains rare in the associative prayer rooms of the inner suburbs.

Getting there

Aubervilliers-Pantin Quatre Chemins station (line 7) is fifteen minutes away on foot. Aimé Césaire (line 12) is twenty minutes away. Tramway T3b stops at Rosa Parks, twenty minutes down towards Porte de la Chapelle. RER B stops at La Courneuve-Aubervilliers, fifteen minutes by bus on lines 150 or 152. The street itself is quiet, lined with small houses and low-rise buildings.

The neighbourhood

Marcreux is a more residential and quieter district than Quatre-Chemins to the west. Streets keep a fabric of old houses, punctuated by newer blocks and small courtyards. The neighbouring Cité Marcreux was refurbished in the 2010s. Food shops and grocers are concentrated along Avenue Jean Jaurès, five minutes away on foot. Fort d'Aubervilliers, turned into a shared garden, is fifteen minutes to the north.

Practical advice for a visit

The place serves its worshippers and the children attending Arabic classes first. A first visit is easier outside Friday noon and outside Ramadan Tarawih night prayers. Shoes come off before entering, women cover their hair, and clothes should cover shoulders and legs. Quiet is expected as soon as you step inside. Wheelchair access is possible; if in doubt about availability, a prior call to +33 7 67 20 97 49 is safest.

Other mosques in Aubervilliers and Paris

Aubervilliers currently has this single listing. The Pantin mosques (Pantin Fraternity Cultural Association, Friendly League of Cultures) are fifteen minutes away on foot via Rue Gabrielle Josserand. On the Paris side, Fraternity Mosque near Porte d'Aubervilliers and Adda'Wa Mosque in the 19th are fifteen to twenty minutes away on line 7.