Strasbourg Mosque
48°34′23.0″N 7°44′13.8″E / 48.573056°N 7.737167°E The Strasbourg Mosque ("Great Mosque of Strasbourg"), 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[1]. 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[2], who also deisgned the Rome Mosque. The design competition included a futuristic proposal by Zaha Hadid[3].
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[4].
The new mosque will have a capacity of 1200 people[5]. The first stone of the new mosque was laid on 29 October 2004 by the then Mayor of Strasbourg Fabienne Keller[6]. 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%[7].
External links
References
- ^ Histoires de mosquées, Schiltigheim : Editions Kalina, 2004, ISBN 291488804X
- ^ For Strasbourg, an Italian designer Mosque, Daily Star, Lebanon, 14 January 2005
- ^ Zana Hadid's design at the Victoria and Albert Museum
- ^ Le Point, 18 April 2009
- ^ Future Grande Mosquée de Strasbourg, article of 24 May 2009
- ^ A giant mosque for Strasbourg, Brussels Journal, 1 April 2008
- ^ Steven Erlanger: "A pro-church law helps a mosque, New York Times, 6 October 2008
