Institut du Monde Arabe / Paris Mosque

- Institut du Monde Arabe / Paris Mosque -

The Institut du Monde Arabe (Institute of the Arab World) was opened in 1987 as a cultural centre with the aim of furthering French understanding of the Arab World. It was designed by Jean Nouvel and has a distinctive Islamic design which has thousands of small light sensitive shutters. They contract and expand depending on how much light they are exposed to. They are called the moucharabiya. You can see a close up picture of them below.
Inside the Institut you will find an excellent museum, a huge library, a large gift store, several restuarants which sell Arabic food and temporary exhibitions. If you've ever been intrigued by the Arab World I'd highly recommend you visit.
Visit the Official Institut du Monde Arabe web site.

The Paris Mosque which was built in 1922 as a memorial to the Muslims who died in World War 1 is open to visitors. If you decide to go on a guided tour you can visit the sunken garden and patios, pictures of which you'll see below. The courtyards are truly beautiful and their design is based on al Hambra. There is also a hammam, restaurant and an excellent tea room which sells all manner of Arabic pastries and other delights. Very sugary so be warned!