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The 17th-century royal medicinal herb garden was planted by Jean Hérouard and Guy de la Brosse, physicians to Louis XIII. Opened to the public in 1640, it flourished under the curatorship of Comte de Buffon in the mid-18th century. It contains some 10,000 species, including the first Cedar of Lebanon planted in a French tropical greenhouse, and Alpine, rose and winter gardens (see Cedar of Lebanon).

Separate pavilions in the Jardin des Plantes house exhibits on anatomy, fossils, geology, mineralogy and insects. The Grande Galerie de l’volution (see Parc de la Villette) is a magnificent collection of stuffed African mammals, a giant whale skeleton and an endangered species exhibit.

The country’s oldest public zoo was founded during the Revolution to house the four surviving animals from the royal menagerie at Versailles. Other animals were donated from circuses and abroad, but during the Siege of Paris in 1870–71 (see Top 10 Events in the French Revolution) the unfortunate creatures were eaten by hungry citizens. A favourite with children (see Grande Galerie de l’volution), the zoo has since been rehoused with monkeys, large cats, birds and reptiles.

This institute was founded in 1980 to promote cultural relations between France and the Arab world. The stunning building (1987) designed by architect Jean Nouvel features a southern wall of 1,600 photo-sensitive metal screens that open and close like a camera aperture to regulate light entering the building. The design is based on the latticed wooden screens of Islamic architecture. Inside are seven floors of Islamic artworks, from 9th-century ceramics to contemporary art, and ancient astrolabes used by astronomers of old.

Built in 1922–6, the mosque complex is the spiritual centre for Parisian Muslims. The beautiful Hispano-Moorish decoration, particularly the grand patio, was inspired by the Alhambra in Spain. The minaret soars nearly 33 m (100 ft). There is also an Islamic school, tea room and Turkish baths, open to men and women on separate days.

Although the rue Mouffetard is famous today for its lively street market held every Tuesday to Sunday, it has an equally colourful past. In Roman times this was the main road from Paris to Rome. Some say its name comes from the French word mouffette (skunk), as a reference to the odorous River Bièvre (now covered over) where waste was dumped by tanners and weavers from the nearby Gobelins tapestry factory. Though no longer poor or Bohemian, the neighbourhood still has lots of character, with its 17th-century mansard roofs, old-fashioned painted shop signs and affordable restaurants. In the market you can buy everything from Auvergne sausage to horse meat to ripe cheeses.

The remains of the 2nd-century Roman amphitheatre from the settlement of Lutetia (see Roman Settlement) lay buried for centuries and were only discovered in 1869 during construction of the rue Monge. The novelist Victor Hugo, concerned with the preservation of his city’s historic buildings, including Notre-Dame (see The Man Who Saved Notre-Dame), led the campaign for the restoration. The original arena would have had 35 tiers and could seat 15,000 spectators for theatrical performances and gladiator fights.

This bustling square has a village community feel, with busy cafés and restaurants and groups of students from the nearby university hanging out here after dark. In medieval times it lay outside the city walls, a remnant of which still stands. Notice the memorial plaque above the butcher’s at No. 1, which marks the site of the old Pine Cone Club, a café where François Rabelais and other writers gathered in the 16th century.

The church at the bottom of rue Mouffetard dates back to the 9th century, when it was a parish church dedicated to St Médard, counsellor to the Merovingian kings. The present church, completed in 1655, is a mixture of Flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance styles. Among the fine paintings inside is the 17th-century St Joseph Walking with the Christ Child by Francisco de Zurbarán. The churchyard was the scene of hysterical fits in the 18th century, when a cult of “convulsionnaires ” sought miracle cures at the grave of a Jansenist deacon.

This internationally renowned tapestry factory was originally a dyeing workshop, founded by the Gobelin brothers in the mid-15th century. In 1662, Louis XIV’s minister Colbert set up a royal factory here and gathered the greatest craftsmen of the day to make furnishings for the palace at Versailles. Painters such as Charles Le Brun directed 250 Flemish weavers in creating the tapestries. You can see the traditional weaving process on a guided tour.