London Jamme Masjid, London, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

London Jamme Masjid is a mosque at 59 Brick Lane in Spitalfields, London, in a building that has served as a Huguenot chapel, a Methodist church, a synagogue and now a mosque. Its changing use traces the waves of newcomers who have settled in London's East End over about three centuries, which is why it is one of the best single buildings for understanding the area.

The story behind it

The building went up in the 18th century as a chapel for the Huguenots, French Protestants who fled religious persecution and settled in Spitalfields, where many made a living as silk weavers and merchants. As their fortunes improved, many moved out to the suburbs, and the chapel passed to a Methodist congregation in the early 19th century.

Later in the 19th century it became a synagogue, serving Jewish refugees who had escaped violence in the Russian Empire and who made this one of the main centres of Jewish life in London. In the 1970s it became a mosque, serving the Bangladeshi community, many of whose families came from the Sylhet region, and it took the name London Jamme Masjid in 1976. Each community built on the work of the last, and the walls still carry that layered history.

What to look for

• Find the sundial high on the corner of the building, which carries the Latin words Umbra Sumus, meaning We are Shadows.
• Think about that inscription as a comment on the area: each wave of settlers passed through like a shadow, yet each left a place of worship behind.
• Look at the plain, handsome lines of the building itself, which still read as an 18th-century chapel rather than a purpose-built mosque.
• Notice the street around you, where curry houses, street art and old weavers' houses sit side by side as a record of the same story.

Tips for your visit

• Plan on 10 to 15 minutes at the building itself, longer if you are exploring Brick Lane and the side streets.
• It is an active place of worship, so treat it respectfully, dress modestly and check whether visits inside are possible before you go.
• Daylight shows the sundial and facade best, and the lane is usually busiest at weekends, so go on a weekday if you want quieter pictures.
• Spitalfields Market, Christ Church Spitalfields and the Brick Lane food stalls are all within a short walk.

See it on a quest

Historic London: Spitalfields and Brick Lane from Weavers to Wine Bars is a natural fit, because the mosque's history is the history of the district. You reach it on foot as one stop on a longer route through Spitalfields and Brick Lane, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Jack the Ripper: Uncover London's Dark Secrets Escape Game takes you through the same East End streets with a darker theme. You walk from place to place, hear about each location as you get there and solve puzzles in the real surroundings. One ticket covers the whole group.