This secret location should be at the top of your list if you are visiting Paris this spring. Why? Take a look at this video and you will notice dormant wisteria. For just a few short weeks during the spring, the walls are bathed in soft purple flowers, cascading down to exquisite ceramic tiles.
The Grand Mosque of Paris is a French mosque built in the Hispano-Moorish style with a 33-meter minaret. Located directly behind the Jardin-des-Plantes, it’s the perfect end to a visit to my favorite garden in Paris. On this day, I took my friend @rachccouch for sweet mint tea and visited the mosque gardens.
Entry is free, and I find this space a calming respite any time of the year. While the fountains and water features are empty to protect them from the cold temperatures, visiting during the winter means fewer crowds and perfect lighting.
The mosque was inaugurated on July 15, 1926. The decision to build a mosque in Paris took concrete form after the First World War, to pay homage to the tens of thousands of Muslims who fought and died for France.
The architecture takes your breath away. The decor, and in particular the zelliges, were made by specialized craftsmen from Morocco with traditional materials.
There are two primary areas to visit. After you exit the Jardin des Plantes and make your way across Rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire, you’ll see the entrance to the restaurant and café. You will also find access to the women-only hammam here. This area is deceiving as there is the initial space for taking tea and a quick pastry. As you continue past the baked goods area, you’ll discover an interior restaurant terrace and restaurant with traditional seating (reservations online).
To enter these gardens, you must go around to the other side of the building, 6 Rue Georges Desplas, 75005 Paris.
Planning a trip to France? Check out my Travel Planner! Link in my bio.
Bisous and big hugs from Paris,
Shannon