Sunday, June 12, 2011

Mosque Architecture: Grande mosquée de Lyon

The Grande mosquée de Lyon ("Great Mosque of Lyon"), France’s sixth largest Mosque, was officially inaugurated on 30 September 1994.

It is located at 146 Boulevard Pinel, 5 km east of Presqu'île in Lyon. The Mosque includes cultural facilities, a library and a school. It was designed by the Lyon architects Ballandras and Mirabeau and largely funded by King Fahd of Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries. It combines traditional Maghreb architecture and calligraphy with a modern Western style. The façade is composed of Persian arches. The Mosque also boasts a 25-metre minaret. The entrance is covered by a glass pyramid that includes 230 columns. [1] [2]

An association was formed in 1980 to promote the construction of a Mosque in Lyon, but attempts to get planning permission were repeatedly blocked.

When the French Interior Minister Charles Pasqua opened the Mosque in 1992 he warned against the rise of Islamic fundamentalism
Lyon's Grand Mosque (Mosquée de Lyon) is France’s sixth Grand Mosque. It was built in the 1990s and combines traditional elements with modern architecture.
History

The first stone of the Lyon mosque was laid on the June 14, 1992, amid some controversy. Some had worried that a minaret in Lyon would challenge the basilica at Fourvière.

The mosque designed by Lyon architects and was funded by King Fahd of Saudi Arabia and by other Muslim countries. Opened in September 1994, the mosque responded to its critics with a mix of discretion and western modernity.
What to See

The exterior of the mosque features a façade with Persian arches, a 25-meter-high minaret and a white dome topped with the crescent symbol. The entrance patio is covered by a glass pyramid supported by 230 columns.

A mezzanine level was fitted in the prayer room for the women, which overhangs the mihrab that indicates the direction of Mecca. The mihrab is decorated with a blue mosaic that proclaims the central creed of Islam: "There is no other God than God and Mohammed is his prophet."

from: www.sacred-destinations.com, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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