Also Known as Djamaa el Djazaïr, the Great Mosque of Algiers which is the largest mosque in Africa is located in Algiers, Algeria. The giant mosque which faces the picturesque bay of Algiers is part of a complex and encompass a one‐million book library, a Koranic school and a museum of Islamic art and history, commercial buildings, a restaurant, a library, an amphitheater, a plaza, an underground parking with a capacity of 7,000 cars, and outbuildings dedicated to the security and maintenance of the building and its occupants.
The US $1bn mega mosque also has a 265m-high minaret (874 feet), the worlds tallest and a 20,000 square metres prayer hall with a capacity of accommodating up to 120,000 worshippers, and a dome of 50 meters diameter. The minaret height makes it visible from all parts of the Algerian capital and it consists of 43 floors that can be accessed by elevators.
For the impressive dome of 50 meters, Palazzani supplied one Spider Lift XTJ 52, specifically customized to be fixed on a platform with rails around the dome, on top of the main building’s roof, to grant the dome finishing, as well as constant maintenance and cleaning, reaching 52 meters of max w/h and 19,5m outreach.
The study and definition of the machine configuration took almost two years and ended with the supply of a customized XTJ 52, powered by single-phase 230VAC electric motor 2.2kW + 3-phase 380VAC electric motor 5.5kW only, without diesel engine, anti-collision sensors and electronic anemomenter.
The interior of the mosque is decorated with Arabic calligraphy panels made of marble and wood, with an Andalusian character and it is furnished with blue carpets with floral motifs, with a traditional Algerian character.
As a carrier of Islamic culture, the mosque is decorated with complicated stone carvings, wood carvings and plaster carvings of Islamic style. For example, there is a praying wall of 300 square meters with vast details on the east side of the praying hall.
The design was done by German architects KSP Juergen Engel Architekten.
Criticism
The project has experienced its fair share of criticism. To its critics, the mosque is a vanity project and a symbol of the megalomania of former long-term president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who was forced out in April last year after mass street protests against his two-decade-long rule.
The expenditure of over US $1bn of public money was also met by disapproval by others, with youth unemployment and much needed improvements in the health and educational sectors seen as a more important priority for the country.
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Timeline
2012
Construction of the project began after the contract was won by the China State Construction Engineering Corporation.
2019
Construction was completed.
2020
In October, the mosque was inaugurated on the occasion of the Mawlid, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)’s birthdate. The opening ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Andelaziz Djerad and other government officials.
