Mosquée de Lyon

Lyon's Grand Mosque (Mosquée de Lyon) is France’s sixth Grand Mosque. It was built in the 1990s and combines traditional elements with modern architecture.

The first stone of the Lyon mosque was laid on the June 14, 1992, amid some controversy. Some had worried that a minaret in Lyon would challenge the basilica at Fourvière.

The mosque designed by Lyon architects and was funded by King Fahd of Saudi Arabia and by other Muslim countries. Opened in September 1994, the mosque responded to its critics with a mix of discretion and western modernity.

The exterior of the mosque features a façade with Persian arches, a 25-meter-high minaret and a white dome topped with the crescent symbol. The entrance patio is covered by a glass pyramid supported by 230 columns.

A mezzanine level was fitted in the prayer room for the women, which overhangs the mihrab that indicates the direction of Mecca. The mihrab is decorated with a blue mosaic that proclaims the central creed of Islam: "There is no other God than God and Mohammed is his prophet."

The mosque has an information center and regular guided tours are given by the Lyon Visitors Bureau.