Detikcom visited and witnessed the magnificence of the mosque on\nTuesday, 19 May 2026. The visit was at the invitation of the Ministry of\nTourism and Handicrafts of Algeria as part of the 25th International\nTourism and Travel Fair, SITEV 2026.<\/p>\n
The mosque holds the distinction of being the third largest mosque in\nthe world, after the Masjid al-Haram and Masjid al-Nabawi, and the\nlargest on the African continent. Djamaa el-Djazair is described as a\ncomplex for scientific and religious tourism.<\/p>\n
Awe accompanied every step as we toured the mosque with dozens of\njournalists from around the world. Every corner tells a story. The\nmosque sits on a 27.7-hectare site with a built-up area of 400,000\nsquare metres.<\/p>\n
In the main prayer hall, 120,000 worshippers can prostrate together.\nThe mosque also houses a library capable of accommodating 1,000 readers\nand storing one million books on Islamic history, science and\ncivilisation.<\/p>\n
In the southern section are the main entrance, the cultural centre,\nthe library with one million books, and a postgraduate school for\nvarious fields of knowledge. There are also staff housing, a security\nsquad building, a fire station, and the administration offices of Djamaa\nel-Djazair.<\/p>\n
One of its distinctive features is a tower that \u2018pierces the sky\u2019 of\nAlgiers, at a height of 265 metres. From the tower\u2019s summit, a\n360-degree panorama of Algiers can be seen.<\/p>\n
There is also a museum, which forms the natural continuation of the\nprayer space. The tower itself is described as the tallest in the world\nat 265 metres, comprising five sections: the first three are used for\nthe museum, the final two for a research centre.<\/p>\n
The surrounding grounds are equally vibrant, a 14-hectare park\nplanted with Mediterranean trees offering shade and fresh air.<\/p>\n
The project emerged from cross-continental collaboration, with a\nGerman architect drawing its lines and a Chinese contractor constructing\nit. The Neo-Andalusian style blends with modern restraint, with a\ncolossal 50-metre-diameter dome gleaming gold, appearing to integrate\nseamlessly.<\/p>\n
The builders installed hundreds of seismic isolation pads, combining\nspecial rubber and steel under the main building. The system is designed\nto withstand quakes up to magnitude 9.0 on the Richter scale. The\nproject began in 2012 and was completed nearly a decade later at a cost\nof more than USD 1 billion.<\/p>\n
Historically, in the French colonial era, the site was a centre for\nCardinal Charles Lavigerie\u2019s missionary movement. Today, the land bows\nto a different history. Djamaa el-Djazair stands on the coast of\nAlgiers, inviting visitors to feel how faith, art and science can unite\nin a single breath.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/piercing-the-sky-algiers-largest-mosque-on-the-african-continent-1779546005", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }