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Noor Al Islam Central Mosque


History


The plan to construct a mosque in Reunion was first proposed in the early 1890s. It was created by Gujarati traders who had come to the island two or three decades before. Particularly, they are from Surat.

Six of them participated in the April 20 auction hearing on behalf of about 120 other people, and they purchased a building with the address 111, rue du Grand-Chemin, which is now rue du Maréchal-Leclerc. Cassim Amode, Ismah Houssein, Ismah Ismah, Mamodjee Moussajee, Ismah Amode Patel, and Issop Sulliman are their names. For ten years, their structure will house a nondenominational place of worship.

On November 25, 1897, a petition was nonetheless delivered to Governor Beauchamp. The undersigned request the requisite permission and declare their intention to erect a mosque at the aforementioned address. Get the governor's approval on January 8, 1898.

Urban and Architectural


The mosque is white in color and has a classical design. It is distinguished by its 32-meter-tall tower, which is equipped with a lightning rod and was built to endure tropical cyclones. Its entrance is on rue du Maréchal-Leclerc, in the middle of a gallery with a half-dozen toy or perfume shops hidden behind a row of columns.

It is accessible only after taking off your shoes and, for observant Muslims, passing through the two ablutions basins on either side of the central axis of the courtyard, which is a rectangular interior space that is wider than long. These basins run underneath the slab that serves as the floor for this courtyard decorated with blue, white, and brown stained glass windows in the center of the four sides, where we note the presence of four French flag-themed stained glass windows as a nod to the authorities' approval of the construction project. 

The prayer area is on the ground floor and has a seating capacity of 500 people. It has minimally adorned white walls. There aren't many Koranic verses depicted on the walls. The Indian ancestry of the builders and, in particular, their practice of their faith in settings where it is a minority can be used to explain this sobriety.

The carpet on the floor, which is primarily green, is decorated with images of golden colonnades pointing in the direction of Mecca. The mihrab is situated in the axis of the entry, overlooking the street, and was constructed in accordance with the directions of a passing navigator. It has since been somewhat modified.

A second prayer chamber that is even more sparsely furnished than the first is also accessible from the inner courtyard via stairs. Its carpet is a solid shade of green, and its walls are almost entirely bare. It has lights on the ceiling and lights in the form of balls.

A few modest rooms and at least one wash basin can be found in the basement. It provides access to a backyard with a variety of flowering plants.

Description


Many extentions and additions happened to the mosque throughout the years. 

  • 1959-1962, Expansion of the prayer room and opening of the access on Jules Auber street (Architects  Virapin & Ravily).
  • 1975-1978, Construction of the shopping gallery and minaret (Architects : Gustave Rey, Jean Ménagé, Philippe Goetz, Marc van Nuwenborg)

References


https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosqu%C3%A9e_Noor-e-Islam

http://noor-e-islam.re/la-mosquee/


Details

Location

St. Denis Central Mosque, 119 Rue du Maréchal Leclerc, Saint Denis 97400, Réunion

Worshippers

700

Owners

Gujarati traders (Issop Sulliman, Ismaêl Amode Patel, Mamodjee Moussajee, Ismaël Houssein, Cassim Amode and Amode Ismaêl )

Year of Build

1905

Area

1300

Drawings

Map

History

The plan to construct a mosque in Reunion was first proposed in the early 1890s. It was created by Gujarati traders who had come to the island two or three decades before. Particularly, they are from Surat.

Six of them participated in the April 20 auction hearing on behalf of about 120 other people, and they purchased a building with the address 111, rue du Grand-Chemin, which is now rue du Maréchal-Leclerc. Cassim Amode, Ismah Houssein, Ismah Ismah, Mamodjee Moussajee, Ismah Amode Patel, and Issop Sulliman are their names. For ten years, their structure will house a nondenominational place of worship.

On November 25, 1897, a petition was nonetheless delivered to Governor Beauchamp. The undersigned request the requisite permission and declare their intention to erect a mosque at the aforementioned address. Get the governor's approval on January 8, 1898.

Urban and Architectural

The mosque is white in color and has a classical design. It is distinguished by its 32-meter-tall tower, which is equipped with a lightning rod and was built to endure tropical cyclones. Its entrance is on rue du Maréchal-Leclerc, in the middle of a gallery with a half-dozen toy or perfume shops hidden behind a row of columns.

It is accessible only after taking off your shoes and, for observant Muslims, passing through the two ablutions basins on either side of the central axis of the courtyard, which is a rectangular interior space that is wider than long. These basins run underneath the slab that serves as the floor for this courtyard decorated with blue, white, and brown stained glass windows in the center of the four sides, where we note the presence of four French flag-themed stained glass windows as a nod to the authorities' approval of the construction project. 

The prayer area is on the ground floor and has a seating capacity of 500 people. It has minimally adorned white walls. There aren't many Koranic verses depicted on the walls. The Indian ancestry of the builders and, in particular, their practice of their faith in settings where it is a minority can be used to explain this sobriety.

The carpet on the floor, which is primarily green, is decorated with images of golden colonnades pointing in the direction of Mecca. The mihrab is situated in the axis of the entry, overlooking the street, and was constructed in accordance with the directions of a passing navigator. It has since been somewhat modified.

A second prayer chamber that is even more sparsely furnished than the first is also accessible from the inner courtyard via stairs. Its carpet is a solid shade of green, and its walls are almost entirely bare. It has lights on the ceiling and lights in the form of balls.

A few modest rooms and at least one wash basin can be found in the basement. It provides access to a backyard with a variety of flowering plants.

Description

Many extentions and additions happened to the mosque throughout the years. 

  • 1959-1962, Expansion of the prayer room and opening of the access on Jules Auber street (Architects  Virapin & Ravily).
  • 1975-1978, Construction of the shopping gallery and minaret (Architects : Gustave Rey, Jean Ménagé, Philippe Goetz, Marc van Nuwenborg)