Beautiful sacred monuments in Mauritius part 2

 The Notre Dame Auxiliatrice church is one of the most famous churches, located in a small fishing village at the north of Mauritius. This church has a perfect visible framework, facing the turquoise and sandy beach in Cap Malheureux. It is famous for its bright red roof and also marks a spot in the history of the island. In the 1810s, the French were defeated from the British, which then this place was named Cap Malheureux ( literally means cape of bad luck).  This red- roofed 'photogenic' place is a very popular tourist destination and it is also found on the Mauritius postcards.

   
   

There are lots of sacred monuments across the island and the oldest among them is the Jummah Masjid, located in the capital of Mauritius, Port Louis. It is a sacred place for the Muslim community and was originally known as "Mosquée des Arabs"(mosque of the Arabs), because the Arabs were the first to discover Mauritius in the 10th century. Later on, the french governance granted a land concession to the growing population of Muslims. Years have went by but it still remains as as one of the most densely Muslim populated areas in the island. This sacred monument is combined with Creole, Indian and Islamic architecture. 

    

    

Speaking of Port Louis, it is also the home of our oldest pagoda (Chinese temple). This pagoda was constructed in 1842 and has been the religious center of Chinese soldiers. It is painted in red, yellow and green colours which symbolises happiness, prosperity and purity that will definitely remind you of Imperial china. This temple is surrounded with a beautiful greenery view.

          

          

Not to be forgotten though, the Saint Francis of Assisi church which is the oldest one in the Christian community. This sacred monument erected with basaltic rock, meticulously carved possesses a wooden frame used for ships. It was constructed in 1756 and is located opposite to the SSR Botanical Garden in Mauritius.