A friend told me she had seen a TV show about the Grand Mosque, located in the 5th. I looked it up and it sounds fascinating. It was the first Mosque built in Paris and is the largest in the country. During WWII they hid over 200 Jews from the Nazi's in the basement. The building is beautiful. I definitely plan to check it out when I'm there in October. I was wondering if anyone has been there and what their impressions were.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10605 posts
We used to go to the tea room there for mint tea. I don't remember if we are allowed inside the mosque because we never attempted to enter it, but you can see the rest and enjoy some tea.
Posted by
OP
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10587 posts
Thanks Bets! I've tried to locate it on the map, using my Paris Par Arrondisment, and I can't find the street. There's a mosque on Rue Geoffroy near the Jardin des Plantes. Is that it?
Posted by
Long Beach, California, USA
3398 posts
We visited this mosque on our last visit to Paris. We did not go into the area of worship but we did eat there and have tea. They do offer tours if you're interested though.
It was a wonderful experience that we will repeat next time we go! They were very welcoming and, as we were completely clueless when it came to eating food from this part of the world, they were wonderful about telling us about the various dishes, how to eat them, which condiments were meant for which preparations and general instructions on how to eat everything! I recommend a visit! It's right behind the Jardin des Plantes on Rue de Quatrfages.
Posted by
OP
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10587 posts
Thank you Anita. It looks like the location I spotted on the map. I guess the street I named is on the back side of it. Were staying in an apartment right across the river from there, so it will be an easy walk.
Posted by
Martinez, CA, USA
1547 posts
Yes it is the mosque near the Jardin des Plantes. We also went to the Tea Room but not into the mosque itself. The tea room is a great treat!