Agen Mosque Reopens, Begins New Expansion Project After Pandemic Delays

The inauguration of the Agen mosque, delayed since 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was effective on Saturday, January 14. Ahmed Laajami, spokesperson for the Association of Muslims of the Agenais, shares the genesis of the building. "The first place of worship was located on boulevard Sylvain-Dumon, facing the train station. That was in 1982. We could only accommodate 200 worshippers then," he recalls. With the support of the mayor at the time, Paul Chollet, the permits were granted as early as 1996 on the current site of rue Jourdain, where the first prayer will take place on January 1, 1997, the first day of Ramadan, reports Sud Ouest. "Shortly before his death, it was here, at the mosque, that Paul Chollet made one of his last outings," recalls Imam Mohamed Nayma. "There was serenity in his eyes."

This inauguration, which comes after 25 years of work, marks the beginning of a new construction site. It is a matter of some compliance work. The mosque’s "minaret" is "only aesthetic, the call to prayer being made only inside the walls," the Muslims of the Agenais point out. They will provide the necessary financial resources to implement the new work. "It is our great pride, in Agen, the mosque is entirely independent and financed by people from here," the imam reminds.