2 mln visit restored Selimiye Mosque
selimiye
Hidden behind the restrained facade of a modest townhouse in the western French port city of Rochefort lies one of Europe’s most remarkable literary homes, where Ottoman, Arab and Asian influences merge into a theatrical interior shaped by the travels and imagination of French novelist, naval officer and traveler Pierre Loti.
Best known for his novel Aziyadé, inspired by his love for a Circassian woman he met in the Ottoman Empire, Loti — born Julien Viaud in Rochefort in 1850 — transformed his family home into an elaborate reflection of the cultures he encountered during decades of voyages around the world.
Today, following a major restoration completed in 2025, visitors can once again explore the museum house, where a Turkish salon, an Arab room and an intricately decorated chamber known as the “mosque” stand alongside a Japanese pagoda, a Chinese room, a Gothic chamber and a Renaissance hall.
