The Paris Mosque is a project that was initially devised at the end of the 19th century in light of France’s colonial expansion, and the time when France started to consider itself a «Muslim nation». Nevertheless, this wish, which gained significant support in France’s political and cultural media, could not materialise until the First Wold War showed no evidence of the importance of politically leading the Muslim world, particularly because of the competition with Germany in this territory. Given the distribution of strategic interests, France could only lead the Maghreb, where it was present until 1830, with any degree of certainty. The Alaouite Sultan of Morocco possessed the most legitimacy to uphold this alliance, while the direction of the Paris Mosque, which started to be built in 1921 through the drive of Lyautey and Ghabrit, fell under this «Hispano/Mauresque-style» cultural model; thus, France was guaranteed control of the Western «Caliphate». The universal and colonial exhibitions contributed to the success of this project, turning Paris into an authentic diorama of world cultures.
The Great Mosque, Lyautey, Ghabrit, Hispanic/Mauresque style, «caliphate», «Muslim nation».