{"id":530,"date":"2008-02-13T14:09:57","date_gmt":"2008-02-13T19:09:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/2008\/02\/13\/a-touch-of-the-east-the-grand-mosque-of-paris\/"},"modified":"2016-02-17T15:38:50","modified_gmt":"2016-02-17T19:38:50","slug":"a-touch-of-the-east-the-grand-mosque-of-paris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/2008\/02\/13\/a-touch-of-the-east-the-grand-mosque-of-paris\/","title":{"rendered":"A Touch of the East: the Grand Mosque of Paris"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Paris<\/a>Nowadays, religion is not exactly a main concern for most Parisian\u2013what with all the fashion, food and politics to think about. Despite the decidedly secular mood in today\u2019s French capital, the place is steeped in religious tradition. It\u2019s hard to walk more than a block in Paris without crossing a street, hospital, or Frenchmen for that matter, named after a Christian Saint. But France\u2019s twentieth-century melting pot is not all crosses and gothic architechture. Muslims have long called Paris home and as New York Habitat discovered, they too have a long tradition in the City of Light. Were not telling anyone to skip the visit to Notre Dame, but the Grand Mosque of Paris is one of the most beautiful buildings of its kind in the West.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Located in the 5th arrondissement<\/a>, la Grande Mosqu\u00e9e de Paris was\u00a0 built way back in 1926 and, like the city\u2019s famed Christian cathedrals, is a Paris must see. Constructed in traditional North African design, the mosque is a stunning piece of foreign architecture planted among rows of typical French buildings.<\/strong> It serves as a reminder of both the French colonial past and France\u2019s substantial Muslim community.<\/p>\n

Contained within the enormous structure is the Caf\u00e9 de la Mosqu\u00e9e, a charming space where Parisians relax with a delicious mint tea among sprouting fig trees, a fountain, and billowing hookah smoke. The caf\u00e9 attracts mature, laid-back crowds and contains a certain authenticity rarely found in run-of-the-mill hookah joints.<\/p>\n

New York Habitat has many accommodation options in the 5th arrondissement<\/a>, just a short walking distance from this attraction, its caf\u00e9 and the rest of the Left Bank.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Gardens<\/p>\n