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Origin and history

The Muslim cemetery of Bobigny, located in the Seine-Saint-Denis, is created by presidential decree of 4 January 1934 as an annex to the Franco-Muslim Hospital (now Avicenne Hospital). Inaugurated on 12 February 1937, he circumvented the 1881 law on the secularity of cemeteries by virtue of his private status. Its architecture, inspired by the 1931 Colonial Exhibition, combines Moorish elements (porch, golden dome mosque) and Mediterranean plants.

Originally intended for the Muslim patients of the hospital, his access expanded in 1937 to those proposed by the Great Mosque of Paris. Saturation from the 1950s, he saw the opening of the Muslim square of Thiais in 1957. Managed by the AP-HP until 1996, his neglected interview led to his transfer to the Intermunicipal Union of La Courneuve. Since then, it has only welcomed Muslims from the municipalities of Aubervilliers, La Courneuve, Drancy and Bobigny.

The cemetery houses about 7,000 graves oriented towards Mecca, including a military square honouring 60 colonial soldiers who died for France (1944-1954), including the 2nd DB and the 1st army of De Lattre. Ranked a historic monument in 2006, it symbolizes the legacy of the First World War Muslim soldiers and the history of Maghreb immigration. His ossuary includes the remains of abandoned concessions.

Among those buried were Ahmed Merabet (policeman killed during the attack on Charlie Hebdo), Boughéra El Ouafi (Olympic marathon champion in 1922), or members of the Ottoman dynasty exiled after the abolition of the Caliphate in 1924. The site also inspires works such as the film Indigenous (2006) or Les Hommes libres (2010), shot on site.

The architecture of the site, designed by Édouard Crevel, reflects an ideal colonial style, with white walls, flat roofs and green tiles. The entrance porch, mosque and military square have been protected since 2006 for their historical and artistic value, illustrating a pivotal period in Franco-Maghrebian history.

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