The pink Mosque
Dome, minarets and inscribed Arabic aphorisms — the eighteenth century's fascination with our civilisation in stone.
Berthold Werner — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Roman Eisele — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Llez — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Llez — CC BY-SA 3.0
Fifteen minutes from Heidelberg, the summer palace of Schwetzingen opens its real wonder: gardens among the loveliest the eighteenth century left in Europe — strict French geometry dissolving into English landscape, studded with temples, fountains and princely pleasure pavilions. Its great surprise for our readers: the "Mosque" — a grand pavilion with pink dome, twin minarets and arcade, built by Prince Carl Theodor around 1795 in admiration of Islamic civilisation, in Europe's age of fascination with the East. Never a prayer mosque but an architectural tribute, its walls carry Arabic aphorisms in fine script with translations — the largest garden mosque of its kind left in Europe, and a pause before it condenses a century of dialogue and imagination. In summer the gardens flower, the fountains play and the palace interior opens by tour. A perfect half day from Heidelberg by short train and walk.
Dome, minarets and inscribed Arabic aphorisms — the eighteenth century's fascination with our civilisation in stone.
French water axes playing in summer as designed.
Princely follies scattered in the green — every path rewarded.
An original 1752 palace theatre still playing its festivals.
Schlossplatz, 68723 Schwetzingen
Carl Theodor built it in his 'garden of the world' gathering civilisations' architectures, giving the Islamic station the grandest pavilion: dome, twenty-metre minarets and an arcade of Arabic proverbs in script and translation. Never meant for prayer, it was built in declared respect — a rare document of Europe's admiring gaze two and a half centuries ago.
Gardens first by a distance: they are the wonder, Mosque included. The interior tour rewards palace lovers, its jewel the original theatre. On limited time: garden ticket, and spend every hour there.
May and June are the peak: fountains on, roses open, the avenues green. Autumn is quiet gold. Winter is architecture alone at lower price — and the Mosque is lovely even leaf-bare.