Algeria has unveiled a massive mosque on its Mediterranean coastline following years of political turmoil that delayed its completion.
It was inaugurated on Sunday by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the Associated Press reports.
According to the AP, ‘the Great Mosque of Algiers’ was constructed by a Chinese construction company. Construction was done over the course of the 2010s.
It is said to feature the tallest minaret globally, standing at 265 metres (869ft).
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It is reported to be the third-largest mosque globally, the largest in Africa, and the biggest outside Islam’s holiest cities. It has a prayer room that can hold 120,000 people.
Also, it features a helicopter landing pad and a library capable of accommodating up to one million books.
In addition to its massive size, it gained attention for the numerous delays and disputes that marked its seven-year construction period. One of such was the selection of a site that experts cautioned was prone to seismic activity.
The Algiers Great Mosque as seen on February 21, 2024. Credit: AP
According to the AP, the state refuted the claim in a statement released on Sunday on APS, the state news agency website.
The official cost of the project amounted to $898m.
The interior Credit: Ryad Kramdi/AFP
Former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika initiated the mosque project, with the vision of making it the largest in Africa.
He envisioned it as his lasting contribution and wanted to name it “Abdelaziz Bouteflika Mosque,” similar to the Mosque Hassan II in Casablanca, Morocco.
The Mosque Hassan II in Morocco, dedicated to the former King of Morocco, a neighbour and regional rival of Algeria, was previously promoted as the largest in Africa.
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