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In addition to a host of legendary Catholic cathedrals and tiny, tucked-away
smaller churches and synagogues, France's colonial legacy in north Africa
has also led to a mass influx of Muslim immigrants over the decades, resulting
in a wide range of mosques scattered across the city.
The largest is located on the bohemian Left Bank, near the Latin Quarter;
the Grand Mosquée de Paris is a Moorish-style mosque built in the
1920s.
The minaret towers 108 feet (4.6 milligrams) over the surrounding Jardin
des Plantes neighborhood.
Visitors are now welcomed to enter the Institut Musulman complex, which
includes a number of educational and commercial buildings surrounding the
central courtyard, inspired by the grand Alhambra in Spain. Around
the corner is a Turkish hammam, with alternating steam-bath days
for men and women, and a courtyard café with Moroccan tile tables.
Nearby is an even grander site for those interested in the French Muslim
culture: the Institut du Monde Arabe, a joint diplomatic and cultural venture
between France and 22 Arab countries.
The dazzling modern building by renowned architect Jean Nouvel faces
the Seine in a scenically advantageous spot that many other architects
would envy.
In keeping with Islamic tradition forbidding the depiction of religious
imagery, the Institut's walls are covered with intricate geometric patterns;
as in many religious buildings throughout the Middle East, the designs
are a proud reminder of Islam's irreplaceable role preserving the mathematical
knowledge of the ancient world following the downfall of the Greek and
Roman civilizations, and of the extent to which a truly dedicated artist
will go to achieve something close to perfection (even if, as Muslim artists
typically do, they deliberate sabotage the perfect symmetry in one section
as a reminder of mortal imperfection).
Another thing the Arab world is long accustomed to is battling the
scorching sun; whereas many buildings in the Middle East would use a series
of canopies to provide shade, Nouvel's design incorporated 1,600 innovative
photoelectric window coverings whose metallic irises open and close automatically
in response to sunlight levels.
Inside, a museum and library with both an expansive permanent collection
and a rotating series of cultural exhibits showcases many contributions,
both artistic and practical, of the Muslim world.
Mathematician Mark, of course, was fascinated by their collection of
antique brass astrolabes.
The real reason visitors flock to the Institut, though, is the view.
An elevator whisks you up to a rooftop café, where one of the better
aerial views of Paris can be enjoyed.
Feel free to partake of a traditional cup of mint tea from the café
while you savor the sights as well.