Grand Mosque of Paris

The Grand Mosque of Paris stands at 2 bis Place du Puits de l'Ermite, in the 5th arrondissement, a short walk from the Jardin des Plantes and the Institut du monde arabe. Inaugurated in 1926, it is the oldest mosque built in mainland France and remains, a century on, one of the country's leading Muslim places of worship.

Getting there

The main entrance opens onto the square, right next to Rue Daubenton. The nearest metro stations are Place Monge and Censier-Daubenton, both on line 7; Jussieu, at the junction of lines 7 and 10, is about ten minutes away on foot. Bus routes 47, 67 and 89 stop at Monge / Mutualité or Jardin des Plantes. A public car park sits under Place Monge, less than a hundred metres from the entrance. The mosque closes to the public on Friday, the day of the main weekly prayer reserved for worshippers; on other days it welcomes visitors and pilgrims from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Architecture

The building is a fully realised example of Hispano-Moorish architecture, drawing on the great Andalusian and North African models. The minaret, some thirty metres tall, is visible from the rooftops of the Latin Quarter. Inside, an arcaded courtyard clad in zellige tilework leads to the prayer hall, whose mihrab is finely carved and whose floor is covered with rugs offered by several Muslim countries. A library, an ablution room and a teaching institute open onto the same courtyard. The decorative depth of the building owes much to the Moroccan and Algerian craftsmen who came to lay the mosaics, mashrabiyas and stucco work during the five years of construction.

History

Construction, authorised by a law passed in 1920, honours the tens of thousands of Muslim soldiers who died for France during the First World War. The project was led by the architect Maurice Tranchant de Lunel and his team. The official inauguration took place on 15 July 1926, attended by President Gaston Doumergue and Sultan Moulay Youssef of Morocco. Since then, the Grand Mosque has been administered by the Société des Habous des Lieux saints de l'islam, and its rector plays a national role in representing Muslim worship in France: it is here, in particular, that the start of Ramadan is traditionally announced for part of the country's Muslim community.

Visiting

The building can be visited without booking. Access to the prayer hall is reserved for those coming to pray; the courtyard, gardens and library remain open to visitors for a small admission fee. The custom is to keep shoulders and legs covered, with a headscarf for women once inside. Photography is tolerated in the courtyard and gardens; the prayer hall itself is a place of quiet worship where cameras have no place.

Practical tips

If you are coming as a visitor rather than a worshipper, plan to arrive outside the five daily prayer windows to avoid disturbing the congregation. Adjoining the mosque but run by separate businesses, a tearoom and a North African restaurant face Rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire, and a hammam welcomes men and women on alternating days. Their hours and prices follow their own rules: check with them before you visit.

Around the mosque

The neighbourhood invites a stroll. A short walk away you will find the entrance to the Jardin des Plantes, the Ménagerie and the Grande Galerie de l'Évolution, along with the Arènes de Lutèce, one of the best-preserved traces of Gallo-Roman Paris. Rue Mouffetard, with its food shops and open-air market, is five minutes on foot. Many worshippers combine the prayer with a walk through the botanical gardens next door.

Other mosques in Paris

This page is part of the directory of mosques in Paris. The city has several, spread from the south to the north-east, including Omar bn El Khattab Mosque in the 11th arrondissement. Find the full list, the interactive map and prayer times on the city page.