Djamaa el Djazaïr
| Djamaa el Djazaïr | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Construction Completed |
| Type | Mosque |
| Architectural style | Islamic architecture, Al-Andalus architecture, Modern architecture. |
| Location | Algiers, Algeria |
| Coordinates | 36°44′09″N 3°08′17″E / 36.73583°N 3.13806°E |
| Construction started | 16 August 2012 |
| Completed | 2019 |
| Owner | Ministry of Religious Affairs |
| Height | |
| Roof | 70 metres (230 ft) |
| Top floor | 265 metres (870 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 37 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | China State Construction Engineering |
Djamaa el Djazaïr (Arabic: جامع الجزائر), also known as the Great Mosque of Algiers (French: Grande mosquée d'Alger), is a mosque in Algiers, Algeria. It houses the world's tallest minaret and is the third-largest mosque in the world after the Great Mosque of Mecca and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi of Medina in Saudi Arabia.[1][2][3][4]
History
The construction of the mosque began in August 2012 after the Algerian government's contract, for 1 billion euros, was won by the China State Construction Engineering Corporation. The design was done by German architects KSP Juergen Engel Architekten and engineers Krebs und Kiefer International. The mosque faced construction delays owing to budgetary concerns due to the falling prices of oil. Around 2,300 workers from China, Algeria and other African countries were deployed to work on the project. The construction of the mosque was seen by many as to serve as a symbol of the reign of long-serving president Abdelaziz Bouteflika.[5][6][7][8][9]
Architecture
The mosque sits on an area of 400,000 m2 (4,300,000 sq ft) overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The prayer hall has a capacity of 37,000 worshippers, while the structure including the compound can house up to 120,000 worshippers and has parking space for 7,000 cars. The complex also houses a Koranic school, a park, a library, staff housing area, a fire station, a museum of Islamic art, and a research centre on the history of Algeria.[5][8][2]
The mosque also has a 265 m (869 ft) tall minaret, which makes it the tallest building in Africa.[7] It also houses an observation deck atop the minaret, which has 37 floors. The mosque is designed to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 and the structure has been specially processed to resist corrosion. The main prayer hall has 618 octagonal columns serving as support pillars and 6 km (3.7 mi) of calligraphic writing engraved with a laser system. The dome of the prayer hall has a diameter of 50 m (160 ft) and rises to a height of 70 m (230 ft).[8][10]
See also
References
- ^ "Algeria builds giant mosque with world's tallest minaret". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ a b "China helping to construct Great Mosque of Algiers". China Daily. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ "Bouteflika's mosque seen as monument to megalomania in Algeria". Arab News. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ "La Grande Mosquée d'Alger, le chantier de trop du président déchu Abdelaziz Bouteflika". Le Monde. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Africa's largest mosque has been completed with thanks to China". Quartz. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ "Bouteflika's mosque seen as monument to megalomania". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Chinese company helps build world's third-largest mosque". China Global Television Network. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ a b c "Africa's largest mosque set to open in Algeria's capital". China Global Television Network. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ "The Biggest Mosque in Africa is Now in Algeria, Not Morocco". Morocco World News. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ "Great Mosque of Algiers: an architectural masterpiece and a religious and cultural monument". Algeria Press Service. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
| Algiers | |
|---|---|
| Constantine | |
| Tlemcen | |
| Oran | |
| Other cities | |
