Grande Mosquée de Paris

The Grande Mosquée de Paris stands at 2 bis Place du Puits de l'Ermite in the 5th arrondissement, beside the Jardin des Plantes. It was built between 1922 and 1926 as a tribute to the Muslim soldiers from France's North and West African colonies who died fighting for France in the First World War, and was inaugurated in 1926. The architecture draws on Hispano-Moorish and Maghrebi styles, with a 33-metre green-tiled minaret, zellige mosaics, carved cedar and plaster ornament, horseshoe arches and an Andalusian-style courtyard garden with a fountain, modelled in part on the Alhambra in Granada. Guided visits take in the courtyards, the patios and the exterior of the prayer hall, which remains closed to non-worshippers, and the mosque's decorative details such as the calligraphy and the carved woodwork. The complex also includes a library, a Turkish bath or hammam, a restaurant and a tea room with a leafy courtyard, where mint tea and pastries are served and which is open to the public separately from the mosque visit. A guided visit lasts about an hour. Visitors should dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, and women may be asked to cover their hair in prayer areas. The mosque is calmest on weekday mornings, with the tea room busier in the afternoon and on weekends. Visiting hours pause for prayer times, and the mosque is closed to visitors on Fridays. Photography is generally allowed in the courtyards but not in the prayer hall. The tiled courtyard and the minaret are the best-known photo spots, and the tea room garden is a restful place to end the visit. The restaurant serves North African dishes such as couscous and tagines, and a shop in the complex sells Moroccan pottery, sweets and gifts. The nearby Jardin des Plantes and the Arènes de Lutèce make it easy to combine visits on foot.