Excerpt:
For 150 years the basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde has dominated the skyline of Marseille.
The church is situated at the highest natural point in the city, overlooking the old port.
It is a reassuring sight for fishermen who head to sea past the fortress of Chateau d'If.
But very soon the north side of Marseille will be dominated be a new and very different religious symbol - the new Grand Mosque.
It has been dubbed a "Cathedral Mosque".