In the middle of a stupid controversy about minarets...

... spreading from Switzerland.
Well, let's have a look instead to the good side, the wonderful Paris Great
Mosque - minaret included - and, a few steps away, to the Arab World
Institute...
[Check this video podcast in 2 parts, forecasted by The Guardian].

(oclandestin)

The Grand Mosque of Paris is an old idea from the time of the colonial France.
Since 1533 - at the time of King Francois I and Caliph Suleiman the Magnificent,
they wanted to build a mosque in Paris for Muslim people.
It's a long story and you had to wait until 1917, when they created an association
in Algiers - at that time Algeria was part of the French territory.
They started to build it in 1922, and it was opened in 1926, so it's an old mosque,
more than 80 years old, and it's a bit of a symbol of French Islam (more).


(oclandestin)
The Institut du Monde Arabe is a centre for Arabic arts and culture.
The building was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel and intended to be
a dialogue between cultures. It reflects a modern interpretation of traditional
Islamic art and architecture (more).

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