Grand Mosque of Paris
| Grande Mosquée de Paris | |
|---|---|
 The Paris Mosque, with its minaret on the left | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Location | |
| Location | Paris, France |
| Geographic coordinates | 48°50′31″N 2°21′18″E / 48.84194°N 2.35500°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque |
| Style | Moorish style |
| Specifications | |
| Minaret(s) | 1 |
| Minaret height | 33 m |
| Website | |
| www.mosqueedeparis.net | |
The Grande Mosquée de Paris (commonly known as The Paris Mosque or The Great Mosque of Paris in English), is located in the 5th arrondissement and is one of the largest mosques in France.
History
The mosque was founded in 1926 as a token of gratitude, after World War I, to the Muslim tirailleurs from France's colonial empire, of whom some 100,000 [citation needed] died fighting against Germany. The mosque was built following the Moorish style,[1] and its minaret is 33 m high. It was inaugurated by President Gaston Doumergue on 15 July 1926. The Sufi Sheikh Ahmad al-Alawi led the first communal prayer to inaugurate the newly built mosque in the presence of the French president.[2]
During World War II (when France and Paris were occupied by Nazi Germany), the rector Si Kaddour Benghabrit managed the mosque to serve as a secret refuge for Algerian and European Jews. He ensured they were provided shelter, safe passage, and fake Muslim birth certificates to protect them from German persecution.[3]
The mosque was assigned to Algeria in 1957 by the French Foreign Minister. The mosque is currently led by mufti Dalil Boubakeur.
Controversies
In November 2012, a prayer room was set up in Paris by a member of the group 'Homosexual Muslims of France' Ludovic-Mohamed Zahed. The opening has been condemned by the Grand Mosque of Paris.[4]
Politics
The Grand Mosque of Paris urged voters to "follow the path of hope" by voting for Emmanuel Macron, instead of Marine Le Pen.[5]
Gallery
References
- ^ Renata Holod; Hasan-Uddin Khan; Kimberly Mims (15 October 1997). The contemporary mosque: architects, clients, and designs since the 1950s. Rizzoli. p. 228.
- ^ Mark Sedgwick (13 July 2009). Against the Modern World: Traditionalism and the Secret Intellectual History of the Twentieth Century. Oxford University Press. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-19-539601-0.
- ^ Robert Satloff (October 8, 2006). "The Holocaust's Arab Heroes". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
- ^ Banerji, Robin (30 November 2012). "Gay-friendly 'mosque' opens in Paris". BBC News.
- ^ "Paris mosque urges Muslims to follow 'path of hope' by voting Macron". RT International. Retrieved 2017-06-25.
External links
 |  | ||
 | You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French. (October 2010) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|