End of Week 3 in Paris

And what a long week it's been! In the first couple weeks it's easy to forget we came to Paris to study, but with the homework load building up, its definitely hitting me. Not sure I can complain though I can complain though, seeing as we go on field trips every week. One that I wasn't expecting was la Grande Mosquee de Paris, a central hub for Muslims in Paris.

One thing most people don't expect of Paris is the long history of colonisation and the populations of North African and Middle Eastern people who have immigrated here after the decline of imperialism. During the Occupation of World War II when France was mostly under German command under the Vichy puppet government, many soldiers were recruited from the colonies and helped liberate France from the Nazis. As a thank you to these colonial soldiers, this mosque was built in the Islam tradition and it is so beautiful you don't  even have to be Muslim to appreciate it.

 This is the courtyard you walk into upon entering. First thing about Paris and it being so cold, stone floors get really cold and STAY cold. It goes right through your boots and doubled up socks! But our guide was saying that all of the marble, the decor, and the mosaic was contributed from countries like Morocco, Lebanon, Tunisia, Algerie, etc. for its completion.

 This is the prayer room in which you are not allowed to wear shoes. The faithful also wash themselves and purify themselves before entering. The shapes on the floor are for each individual to pray upon and face Mecca. The giant chandelier in the top right hand corner was hand made and donated from a North African country. It was cool to get to understand what Islam is all about beyond the veils and the burka, the media, and the wars in the Middle East.

 This mosaic wall and the bordering above it was all hand done by mosaic artists, each color representing a different thing. It was so mindblowing to see that every tile was laid out by hand. Not pictured : the lattice work that was also hand done. All of this covers the walls of the mosque. Like the stained glass windows of Christian cathedrals its absolutely amazing to see what faith can motivate a person to do.

 The Koran that was hand written and hand decorated located in the Mosquee's library.

 This library contains 2,000 books on Islam and Muslim literature, all in Arabic, French, and English. It was pretty cool. Even the cedar wood that the ceiling is made of is symbolic of Muslim ideals. The outside gardens:

Hand embroidered prayer mats and the chandeliers were also beautiful, commissioned in the Middle East and brought to the Mosquee.

The tea room where we had mint tea with honey afterwards. In Paris, it is always good to look upwards. Ceilings are incredible beautiful and ornate in any monument.

 This tea room allowed for birds to come in and fly back and forth as they please, they mostly just hung out on the chandelier. But sometimes they would perch on the empty tables and hang out. I don't think the people in there were Muslim, but they were just sitting and enjoying a cup of tea. I think that although in the US there is a strong taboo of Muslims, France has some of these taboos but at the same time it is so ingrained in the history since the time of the colonies that for the most part, it is appreciated at least as a culture site or a grand art piece. While we were there there was a group of young French children on their own field trip on our same tour. I think it helps that children here are groomed in culture and art from a very young age, and that it helps cultivate an appreciation and understanding of the differences around them. It was very cool to see the Mosquee and understand the depth behind Islam, I don't think I would've visited one in San Diego.

 Afterwards we took a walk in the garden and along the Seine as we went to catch a bus. I asked the professor why trees are so square in French gardens, because it is the same at Jardin des Tuileries, and she said that it's because it is the French aesthetic prefers square trees, simply put. lol coolio!

Overall, cool trip. I thoroughly enjoy these field trips and look forward to taking more!