Great Mosque of Toulouse

Great Mosque of Toulouse
Grande Mosquée de Toulouse
Religion
AffiliationIslam
Ecclesiastical or organisational statusMosque
StatusActive
Location
LocationToulouse, Haute-Garonne
CountryFrance
Location of the mosque in Haute-Garonne
Interactive map of Great Mosque of Toulouse
Coordinates43°34′29″N 1°26′19″E / 43.57472°N 1.43861°E / 43.57472; 1.43861
Architecture
ArchitectChristian Barthe
TypeMosque
Completed2018
Construction cost6 million
Specifications
Capacity3,000 worshippers
Dome1
Minaret1

The Great Mosque of Toulouse (French: Grande Mosquée de Toulouse) is a mosque in the city of Toulouse, France It opened in 2018. The mosque is located in the Empalot neighbourhood in the south of the city and has a capacity of 3,000 worshipers.

Overview

The funds for the 6 million project came mainly from a 13-year campaign by the nearby Al-Nour Mosque, itself established in 1989. Additions came from the French state, Algeria (€213,000) and Kuwait (€131,000).[1][2] The imam, Mohamed Tataï, turned down donations from Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2006 and 2007.[3]

The building has three prayer halls, one of which is reserved for women, and a Quranic school. It is decorated with Tunisian marble, rugs and doors from Turkey, Egyptian chandeliers and Moroccan stucco.[1] On the exterior, there is a gilded dome and a minaret. The architect was Christian Barthe.[4]

Controversy

In April 2022, Mohamed Tataïat, the mosque's imam, was expelled to Algeria after being sentenced to four months of suspended imprisonment for inciting hate against Jews in a 2017 sermon. The court justified the decision stating Tataïat's comments constituted a deliberate provocation to discrimination, hatred, and violence against Jews and had conspicuous resonance and intensity following Hamas' October 7 attacks against Israel.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Albinet, Vincent (June 22, 2018). "La Grande Mosquée de Toulouse ouvre ses portes" [The Great Mosque of Toulouse opens its doors] (in French). France 3. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  2. ^ "La grande mosquée d'Empalot qui a coûté 6 millions d'euros inaugurée le 23 juin" [The Great Mosque of Empalot which cost 6 million euros will be inaugurated on 23 June]. La Dépêche du Midi (in French). June 10, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  3. ^ Martin, Marie (June 23, 2018). "Toulouse : la mosquée d'Empalot inaugurée" [Toulouse: Empalot mosque inaugurated] (in French). France 3. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  4. ^ "Découvrez en images la Grand Mosquée de Toulouse, inaugurée ce samedi" [Discover in images the Great Mosque of Toulouse, inaugurated this Saturday]. La Dépêche du Midi (in French). June 23, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  5. ^ France, Centre (May 7, 2024). "Islam - L'imam de la Grande mosquée de Toulouse fait appel contre son expulsion après des propos haineux contre les juifs". www.lamontagne.fr. Retrieved May 8, 2024.