Inside Paris's Grand Mosque, a refuge for French Muslims for close to a century

This stunning structure remains a sanctuary for both worshippers and visitors

The Grand Mosque of Paris is one of the largest in Europe and the oldest in mainland France. All photos: Ronan O'Connell

More than 400 artisans from North Africa were employed to build the mosque.

The building was dedicated to the many Muslim soldiers who fought for France during the First World War.

The mosque features complex stonework, ornate wood carvings, white marble floors and Zellige tiles.

The 33-metre-high minaret of the Grand Mosque of Paris.

Moorish architecture was a central influence on the design of the Grand Mosque of Paris.

The exterior of the Grand Mosque of Paris.

The mosque's main prayer hall is the only area off limits to non-Muslim visitors.

The Grand Mosque of Paris stands as one of the most commanding buildings in the French capital.

The minaret towers over the low-rise neighbourhood in which the mosque was built.

The mosque's gardens draw inspiration from the Alhambra in Spain.

Construction on the building started 100 years ago.

Home to about six million Muslims, more than any other European nation, France has a long Islamic history, and nowhere is this more evident than in Paris's stunning Grand Mosque, erected nearly 100 years ago.

Even in a city revered for its architecture, there are few structures more majestic than the Grand Mosque of Paris, which has become a popular tourist attraction thanks to its photogenic design.

I first spotted this magnificent building four years ago from the shady grounds of the nearby Jardin des Plantes. The mosque’s 33-metre-high minaret looms above the low-rise neighbourhood, making it visible from within Paris’s main botanical garden.

This October, I was able to visit the mosque properly after it opened to visitors during what was then a lull in the Covid-19 outbreak in France.

Construction of the Grand Mosque of Paris began 100 years ago. Photo: Ronan O'Connell

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the construction of the mosque, which is one of the largest in Europe and the oldest in mainland France. It was erected in response to a swelling of the Muslim population in the French capital.

Many of the city's newcomers came from French territories in Africa, particularly Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.

More than 400 artisans from North Africa were employed in the construction of the mosque, which was dedicated to the many Muslim soldiers who fought and died for France during the First World War.

A century on, France has an uneasy and often adversarial relationship with Islam.

Last year, French President Emmanuel Macron drafted a new law giving his government greater power over the operation of mosques, including restrictions on foreign funding.

France’s Muslim community has long argued that it has become difficult to open a new mosque or run an existing one and these proposed restrictions would only exacerbate those challenges.

This may be part of the reason why France’s existing mosques are so treasured by those who frequent them. Given the hostility from the French state, it would be understandable if the country’s mosques closed themselves off to outsiders.

Thankfully, the Grand Mosque of Paris has headed in the opposite direction. It embraces visitors, inviting all beyond its whitewashed walls to absorb the majesty within.

The Grand Mosque of Paris is one of the largest in Europe and the oldest in mainland France. Photo: Ronan O'Connell

I was delighted with the friendly reception I and other tourists received here. Because it was a warm day, I was wearing shorts, and as I approached the building, I realised I was dressed inappropriately and would likely be denied entry. My spirits sank.

This apprehension dissolved instantly when mosque staff told me my attire was fine and waved me inside with a smile. Entry is only €3 and I was even offered the services of a tour guide for free.

Zellige mosaics have decorated mosques, palaces and madrasas in northern Africa for close to 1,000 years

Because I find it hard to simultaneously focus on my photography and hold a conversation, I declined this generous offer. That was a good decision because soon I was oblivious to anyone around me, transfixed by the images captured through my camera lens.

As a photographer, I’m constantly searching for repetitive patterns and contrasting colours, two elements that make a striking image. Islamic architecture has long utilised these pleasing design principles via its Arabesque inscriptions, geometric designs, floral motifs and intricate mosaics.

The Grand Mosque of Paris has all of these features, with the most striking being its liberal use of Zellige tile mosaics, which first beguiled me when I encountered them in Morocco. When I entered the Paris mosque, I was instantly reminded of one of my favourite pieces of architecture: Bou Inania madrassa in the Moroccan city of Fez.

The building was dedicated to the many Muslim soldiers who fought for France during the First World War. Photo: Ronan O'Connell

Both buildings feature a delightful blend of complex stonework, ornate wooden carvings and white marble floors and Zellige tiles.

Zellige mosaics have decorated mosques, palaces and madrasas in northern Africa for close to 1,000 years. Carefully arranged, these tiles create fractal designs that are arresting from afar and mesmerising up close.

Such patterns are a hallmark of Moorish architecture, the chief influence on the Grand Mosque of Paris. The style was developed in North Africa in the 11th century during the time of the Moors, who ruled over Al Andalus in Spain, an area under Muslim rule until the late 15th century.

The Spanish influence at the Great Mosque of Paris extends to its lush garden. Embellished by dozens of trees and bushes, this meeting place was intended to resemble the revered Alhambra in Granada. The Spanish palace, built during the Al Andalus era, is renowned for its graceful arcades, lined with decorative arches.

A similarly attractive layout is mimicked in this mosque’s garden, which connects easily to its main prayer hall, the only area off limits to non-Muslim visitors.

An example of a Zellige mosaic at the Grand Mosque of Paris. Photo: Ronan O'Connell

I was, however, able to look inside this hall from afar and admire the contrast between its white columns, green carpets and dark woodwork. This colour palette is repeated throughout the mosque and is particularly appealing when combined with the many shades of blue that dominate its Zellige tiles.

These mosaics are especially vivid in the space between the prayer hall and the mosque’s gardens. Called the Grand Patio, this beautiful courtyard is designed to accommodate an overflow of worshippers during important periods, such as Ramadan.

Above worshippers' heads, both inside the hall and in the courtyard, are verses from the Quran, delicately etched into the stone and wood facades.

The mosque is in pristine condition and maintenance of such magnificent architecture must be costly. Helping to fund this upkeep is an on-site cafe, La Mosquee, which is located in the south-east corner of the complex and is separate from the mosque.

With its hearty tagines and fresh aubergine salads, it serves the kind of traditional Moroccan treats that were popular in that nation back when this mosque was only a sketch on a piece of paper. Fortunately, that dream became concrete.

And a century later, the Grand Mosque of Paris stands as one of the most commanding buildings and intriguing tourist attractions in the French capital.