diff --git a/python/akantu/__init__.py b/python/akantu/__init__.py
index 4b244a7af..91e6c3df3 100644
--- a/python/akantu/__init__.py
+++ b/python/akantu/__init__.py
@@ -1,66 +1,146 @@
 __copyright__ = (
     "Copyright (©) 2018-2023 EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)"
     "Laboratory (LSMS - Laboratoire de Simulation en Mécanique des Solides)"
 )
 __license__ = "LGPLv3"
 
 
 import warnings as _aka_warn
 import scipy.sparse as _aka_sparse
 import numpy as _aka_np
 from . import py11_akantu as _py11_akantu
 
 private_keys = set(dir(_py11_akantu)) - set(dir())
 
 for k in private_keys:
     globals()[k] = getattr(_py11_akantu, k)
 
 if _py11_akantu.has_mpi():
     try:
         from mpi4py import MPI  # noqa: F401
     except Exception:
         pass
 
 
 def initialize(*args, **kwargs):
     raise RuntimeError("No need to call initialize,"
                        " use parseInput to read an input file")
 
 
 def finalize(*args, **kwargs):
     _aka_warn.warn("No need to call finalize", DeprecationWarning)
 
 
 class AkantuSparseMatrix (_aka_sparse.coo_matrix):
 
     def __init__(self, aka_sparse):
 
         self.aka_sparse = aka_sparse
         matrix_type = self.aka_sparse.getMatrixType()
         sz = self.aka_sparse.size()
         row = self.aka_sparse.getIRN()[:, 0] - 1
         col = self.aka_sparse.getJCN()[:, 0] - 1
         data = self.aka_sparse.getA()[:, 0]
 
         row = row.copy()
         col = col.copy()
         data = data.copy()
 
         if matrix_type == _py11_akantu._symmetric:
             non_diags = (row != col)
             row_sup = col[non_diags]
             col_sup = row[non_diags]
             data_sup = data[non_diags]
             col = _aka_np.concatenate((col, col_sup))
             row = _aka_np.concatenate((row, row_sup))
             data = _aka_np.concatenate((data, data_sup))
 
         _aka_sparse.coo_matrix.__init__(
             self, (data, (row, col)), shape=(sz, sz), dtype=data.dtype)
 
 
+def convertGmshToAkantuMesh(gmsh):
+    _msh_to_akantu_element_types = [
+        _py11_akantu._not_defined,
+        _py11_akantu._segment_2,
+        _py11_akantu._triangle_3,
+        _py11_akantu._quadrangle_4,
+        _py11_akantu._tetrahedron_4,
+        _py11_akantu._hexahedron_8,
+        _py11_akantu._pentahedron_6,
+        _py11_akantu._not_defined,
+        _py11_akantu._segment_3,
+        _py11_akantu._triangle_6,
+        _py11_akantu._not_defined,
+        _py11_akantu._tetrahedron_10,
+        _py11_akantu._not_defined,
+        _py11_akantu._not_defined,
+        _py11_akantu._not_defined,
+        _py11_akantu._point_1,
+        _py11_akantu._quadrangle_8,
+        _py11_akantu._hexahedron_20,
+        _py11_akantu._pentahedron_15,
+    ]
+
+    gmsh_mesh = gmsh.model.mesh
+    types = gmsh_mesh.get_element_types()
+    dim = -1
+    for el_type in types:
+        props = gmsh_mesh.get_element_properties(el_type)
+        dim = max(dim, props[1])
+    aka_mesh = _py11_akantu.Mesh(dim)
+    accessor = _py11_akantu.MeshAccessor(aka_mesh)
+
+    gmsh_nodes = gmsh_mesh.get_nodes()
+
+    nb_nodes = gmsh_nodes[0].shape[0]
+    accessor.resizeNodes(nb_nodes)
+
+    aka_nodes = aka_mesh.getNodes()
+    gmsh_aka_nodes = {}
+    for i in range(nb_nodes):
+        aka_nodes[i, :] = gmsh_nodes[1][i*3:i*3+dim]
+        gmsh_aka_nodes[gmsh_nodes[0][i]] = i
+
+    gmsh_aka_elements = {}
+    for el_type in types:
+        aka_type = _msh_to_akantu_element_types[el_type];
+        gmsh_aka_elements[aka_type] = {}
+        tags, gmsh_conn = gmsh_mesh.get_elements_by_type(el_type)
+        aka_mesh.addConnectivityType(aka_type)
+        accessor.resizeConnectivity(tags.shape[0], aka_type)
+        conn = aka_mesh.getConnectivity(aka_type)
+
+        for element, tag in enumerate(tags):
+            gmsh_aka_elements[aka_type][tag] = element
+            nnodes_per_el = conn.shape[1]
+            for node in range(nnodes_per_el):
+                conn[element, node] = gmsh_aka_nodes[
+                    gmsh_conn[element * nnodes_per_el + node]]
+
+    for group in gmsh.model.get_physical_groups():
+        name = gmsh.model.get_physical_name(*group)
+        types = gmsh_mesh.get_element_types(*group)
+        aka_group = aka_mesh.createElementGroup(name,
+                                                spatial_dimension=group[0],
+                                                replace_group=True)
+        entities = gmsh.model.get_entities_for_physical_group(*group)
+        for el_type in types:
+            aka_type = _msh_to_akantu_element_types[el_type]
+            for entity in entities:
+                elements = gmsh_mesh.get_elements_by_type(el_type, tag=entity)
+                for el in elements[0]:
+                    aka_group.add(
+                        _py11_akantu.Element(aka_type,
+                                             gmsh_aka_elements[aka_type][el],
+                                             _py11_akantu._not_ghost),  # noqa
+                        True, False)
+        aka_group.optimize()
+    accessor.makeReady()
+    return aka_mesh
+
 FromStress = _py11_akantu.FromHigherDim
 FromTraction = _py11_akantu.FromSameDim
 _py11_akantu.__initialize()
 
 __version__ = _py11_akantu.getVersion()