The Great Mosque of Algiers has opened in the Algerian capital after seven years of construction. With space for 35,000 worshippers in its large prayer hall and 120,000 visitors in total, it will now be the largest mosque in Africa (a title once occupied by the Hassan II Mosque in Morocco) and the third-largest mosque in the world.
The building was designed by German architects KSP Engel, constructed by the state-owned Chinese firm China State Construction Engineering and is said to have cost $898m. The project was initiated by the former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who resigned in 2019 following protests against him for seeking a fifth term after 20 years in power. Its high cost—and the former president's initial plan to name it after himself—has led to criticisms of the building as a vanity project.
The building was initially slated to open in 2020 but due to delays, reportedly owing in part to the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been inaugurated four years later under the new president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
Boasting a minaret which stands at 869 ft (the tallest in the world), the mosque is also now the second tallest building in Africa. The building is located a few kilometres from the historic town centre and is situated in a vast complex which is set to include shops, restaurants, libraries, museums and apartments.
The largest mosques in the world are located in the Islamic holy cities of Medina and Mecca.
