Strasbourg Mosque
Encyclopedia
The Strasbourg Mosque known in French as "La Grande Mosquée de Strasbourg", which dates from 1982, currently occupies a converted foie gras
factory in the Impasse de mai in the centre of Strasbourg
, near the law-courts. It is not the first mosque
to be established in Strasbourg. There have been mosques in the city since 1967 and there are now over twenty.
It is frequented by Muslims of North-African, mainly Moroccan origin. It hosts many conferences and seminars and has an extensive teaching programme for school-aged children.
The Strasbourg Mosque is due to move to a large purpose-built building which is currently under construction in the Heyritz area, south of the Ile de Strasbourg, due for completion in 2011. When completed, the new Mosque will be the second largest in France.
It is designed by Paolo Portoghesi
, who also deisgned the Rome Mosque. The design competition included a futuristic proposal by Zaha Hadid
.
Construction was delayed several times, due to litigation with the main constructors and a decision by the centre right municipal council of Fabienne Keller
to prevent overseas funding.
The new mosque will have a capacity of 1200 people. The first stone of the new mosque was laid on 29 October 2004 by the then Mayor of Strasbourg Fabienne Keller. Mrs Keller also revised the original building project, removing the planned study centre, auditorium and minaret
and reducing the capacity of the prayer room by 50%.
Foie gras
Foie gras ; French for "fat liver") is a food product made of the liver of a duck or goose that has been specially fattened. This fattening is typically achieved through gavage corn, according to French law, though outside of France it is occasionally produced using natural feeding...
factory in the Impasse de mai in the centre of Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, near the law-courts. It is not the first mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
to be established in Strasbourg. There have been mosques in the city since 1967 and there are now over twenty.
It is frequented by Muslims of North-African, mainly Moroccan origin. It hosts many conferences and seminars and has an extensive teaching programme for school-aged children.
The Strasbourg Mosque is due to move to a large purpose-built building which is currently under construction in the Heyritz area, south of the Ile de Strasbourg, due for completion in 2011. When completed, the new Mosque will be the second largest in France.
It is designed by Paolo Portoghesi
Paolo Portoghesi
Paolo Portoghesi is an Italian architect, theorist, historian and professor of architecture at the University La Sapienza in Rome...
, who also deisgned the Rome Mosque. The design competition included a futuristic proposal by Zaha Hadid
Zaha Hadid
Zaha Hadid, CBE is an Iraqi-British architect.-Life and career:Hadid was born in 1950 in Baghdad, Iraq. She received a degree in mathematics from the American University of Beirut before moving to study at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London.After graduating she worked...
.
Construction was delayed several times, due to litigation with the main constructors and a decision by the centre right municipal council of Fabienne Keller
Fabienne Keller
Fabienne Keller was the mayor of Strasbourg, France, from March 2001 to March 2008. She was educated at Berkeley.-References:...
to prevent overseas funding.
The new mosque will have a capacity of 1200 people. The first stone of the new mosque was laid on 29 October 2004 by the then Mayor of Strasbourg Fabienne Keller. Mrs Keller also revised the original building project, removing the planned study centre, auditorium and minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
and reducing the capacity of the prayer room by 50%.