The mosque of Saint-Denis past the Maréchal-Leclerc Street is the first French Mosque. It has opened its doors in 1905, or 21 years prior the construction of the Great Mosque in Paris. It’s a place of worship for the Sunni Muslims that emerged thanks to the will of the Guajarati traders in India. Hence, explaining its Indian design.

Everything exudes serenity and contemplation in the Mosque of Noor-e-Islam or Noor-al-Islam. Its name which means light of Islam perfectly sums it up.

After going through a heavy wooden door, the entrance opens onto a rectangular courtyard. Everyone may go inside the mosque, man or woman, provided that they remove their shoes to enter the courtyard. The practicing Muslim will first perform the ablutionat the lakes.

The courtyard opens onto the main prayer room . The interior design is rather sober. Only a few representations of the Koranic verses embellish the walls. On the ground, a green carpet is covered with patterns representing golden colonnades directing towards Mecca . On the opposite wall, the mihrab, the sanctuary, is a niche which indicates the direction of the prayer.

A minaret of 32 meters high

From the inner courtyard one gets to a second prayer room upstairs. Its walls are almost completely nude and its carpet a plain green colour. It is equipped with ball shaped ceiling light. It offers an unrestricted view onto the city.

The basement has many small rooms and at least a basin to perform the ablutions. It is opened onto a very flowery courtyard.

The main part of the mosque is undoubtedly the minaret. It reaches 32meters high. It's from here that the voice of the muezzin can be heard at the time of the prayers. This minaret is equipped with a lightning conductor and a tropical storm resistant.

The mosque has extended over time. Initially, the façade of the mosque was 15 meters long and the prayer rooms could accommodate only 150 worshippers. Today, the façade measures 39 meters long and over 500 worshippers can come.

After having inaugurated a prayer room for ladies in 2005, the association which administers the mosque has other projects. It particularly hopes to found a Muslim cultural centre, including a library, a language centre and a conference room.

Source: http://reunion.runweb.com/lang-EN-page-1322-2V-page,The-light-of-Islam.html