The great Paris mosque is located in the Latin quarter near the Botanical garden. It covers an area of one hectare and is one of the largest mosques in France.

France is closely linked to Muslim North Africa since the nineteenth century. In 1848 an integral part of the country was declared Algeria, in 1881 a French protectorate Tunisia became, in 1912 – Morocco. In the second half of the twentieth century, these countries regained independence, but the proportion of Muslims in the population of France is impressive. The idea of creation in the capital of the Islamic spiritual center arose in the mid-nineteenth century. A reality she has become after the First world war, when the country was considered necessary by the construction of the mosque to pay tribute to the memory of a hundred thousand of the Muslim warriors who died in battle for France.

Construction is fully funded by the state and occupied three years. 15 July 1926 French President Gaston Duberg and the Sultan of Morocco Moulay Youssef was officially opened by the Paris mosque. Algerian Sufi Ahmad al-Alawi made here first prayer.

The building of the mosque is designed in synthetic Spanish-Moorish mudéjar style, widely spread in the XII-XVI centuries in Spain. In him are woven the elements of Moorish aesthetics, Gothic, Renaissance. In this style worked both Muslim and Christian architects.

The building was designed by the architects of Mataf, Fournet, Abes. The construction worked wizard of the North African countries, and from thence was brought part of building and finishing materials. The minaret of the mosque has a height of 33 meters. Its courtyard is decorated with a beautiful pond and is reminiscent of the gardens of the Alhambra.

During the occupation of Paris in the mosque was built by Muslims, members of the Resistance. Here is hid from the Gestapo Jewish family. In our day the mufti of the mosque was Dalil the fault wasn't one of the most influential and respected figures of French Islam.

The mosque has a prayer hall (Musalla), Turkish bath (Hammam), a school (medrese), a library, a restaurant, a tea house and souvenir shops. The tea is served with traditional mint tea and Oriental sweets. The Great mosque, with the exception of sacred spaces, which is open to tourists.