Algeria on Sunday inaugurated a gigantic mosque on its Mediterranean coastline after years of political upheaval transformed the project from a symbol of state-sponsored strength and religiosity to one of delays and cost overruns.
Built by a Chinese construction firm throughout the 2010s, the “Great Mosque of Algiers” features the world’s tallest minaret, measuring at 869 feet (265 meters).
The third largest mosque in the world and largest outside Islam’s holiest cities, its prayer room accommodates 120,000.
Its modernist design contains Arab and North African flourishes to honor Algerian tradition and culture as well as a helicopter landing pad and a library that can house up to 1 million books.
The inauguration would guide Muslims “toward goodness and moderation,” said Ali Mohamed Salabi, the General Secretary of world union of Muslim Ulemas.
The inauguration ceremony unfolded with optimism, as Ali Mohamed Salabi, the General Secretary of the world union of Muslim Ulemas, conveyed a message of guidance for Muslims, steering them towards “goodness and moderation.”
The journey of the Great Mosque of Algiers reflects not only architectural prowess but also resilience amid the ebb and flow of political complexities.
In Algeria, prioritizing a moderate interpretation of Islam has remained crucial since government forces quelled an Islamist-led rebellion during the tumultuous 1990s, marked by a bloody civil war that swept the nation.
Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboune, fulfilling a commitment made with grandeur, officially inaugurated the mosque in Algiers on Sunday. Despite the elaborate ceremony, the mosque has already been accessible to international tourists and state visitors to Algeria for approximately five years, albeit a prior ceremony faced delays.
The strategic timing of the inauguration aligns with the imminent commencement of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, enabling the mosque to formally open its doors to the public.
This will facilitate the hosting of nightly prayers during this sacred period. The event, therefore, not only symbolizes a commitment to a moderate Islam but also strategically coincides with a significant religious observance.
