Mosquée Al Fateh

“Lost your prayer cap again, eh, young man?” chuckled an old man with a twinkle in his eye. The young boy blushed, frantically patting his pockets in front of the Mosquée Al Fateh. This mosque, a modern marvel, stands proudly in Strasbourg. It’s nestled between the arms of the Ill River and the Marne-Rhine Canal. Mosquée Al Fateh isn’t your typical mosque. Its design, a symbolic flower reaching for the heavens, won an architectural competition in the early 2000s. The Italian architect, Paolo Portoghesi, along with the local firm Maechel-Delaunay-Jund (Urbanetic), brought this unique vision to life. The first stone was laid in 2004, but construction really began in 2007. Mosquée Al Fateh finally opened its doors in September 2012, although the intricate interior decorations continued into 2013. Funding came from the faithful, generous donors, and public subsidies. The construction itself faced several hurdles. The original contractor, Karl König, a German firm, ran into difficulties. In 2009, Demathieu et Bard took over, but financing issues further delayed the project. One of the mosque’s most striking features, its impressive dome, was installed between 2009 and 2010 by the Wiedemann company. Even before it was fully complete, Mosquée Al Fateh welcomed worshippers for Ramadan in August 2011. The main prayer hall can hold 1,500 people, with 1,250 men on the ground floor and 250 women in the mezzanine. It’s open for visits outside of prayer times. The building materials, copper and sandstone, are unusual in traditional mosque architecture. They were chosen to reflect a connection with the Alsace region. The brilliant orange copper dome gradually oxidizes, darkening over time, and will eventually turn green in about twenty years. The interior of Mosquée Al Fateh is truly breathtaking. Artisans from Fès, Morocco, created the stunning zellige tilework, cedarwood carvings, and copper details. Local Alsatian craftspeople contributed the plaster and staff work. Interestingly, the Moroccan ceramic tiles were actually cut and laid on-site over four and a half months. For the curved surfaces like columns, Aleppo soap was used to pre-fix the mosaic. The mosque features underfloor heating and a dedicated ablution room for ritual washing, reflecting the importance of cleanliness in Islam. The women’s mezzanine is a design element borrowed from the Strasbourg synagogue. The spacious prayer hall, bathed in natural light, combines blue, white, and beige hues. Its rich, delicate decoration creates a truly serene and captivating space for prayer and gathering.