Djamaa el Djazaïr

For the historic Great Mosque of Algiers founded in the 11th century, see Djamaa el Kebir.
For similarly named mosques, see List of grand mosques.
Djamaa el Djazaïr
جامع الجزائر
The mosque and its minaret,
viewed from the sahn, in 2023
Religion
AffiliationIslam
Ecclesiastical or organisational statusMosque
OwnershipMinistry of Religious Affairs
StatusActive
Location
LocationMohammadia, Dar El Beïda District, Algiers
CountryAlgeria
Djamaa el Djazaïr is located in Algiers
Djamaa el Djazaïr
Location of the mosque in Algiers
Map
Interactive map of Djamaa el Djazaïr
Coordinates36°44′09″N 3°08′17″E / 36.73583°N 3.13806°E / 36.73583; 3.13806 (Jemma Al Djazair)
Architecture
Architects
  • KSP Jürgen Engel Architekten
  • Krebs und Kiefer
TypeIslamic architecture
Style
General contractorChina State Construction Engineering (CSCEC)
Groundbreaking2012
Completed2019
Construction cost$898 million
Specifications
Capacity120,000 worshippers
Interior area22,000 m2 (240,000 sq ft)
Dome1
Dome height (outer)70 m (230 ft)
Dome dia. (outer)50 m (160 ft)
Minaret1
Minaret height265 m (869 ft)
Site area27.75 ha (68.6 acres)
Website
eldjamaa.dz
Building details
Record height
Tallest in Africa from 29 April 2019 to 2024[I]
Preceded byThe Leonardo, South Africa
Surpassed byIconic Tower
Technical details
Floor count37
[1]

The Djamaa el Djazaïr (Arabic: جامع الجزائر), also known as the Great Mosque of Algiers, is a large mosque located in Mohammadia, in the Dar El Beïda District of Algiers, Algeria. Opened in April 2019, it houses the world's tallest minaret that is 265 metres (869 ft) high, and is the third-largest mosque in the world after the Great Mosque of Mecca and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi of Medina in Saudi Arabia.[2][3][4]

The mosque features a prayer hall (salat) with an area of 22,000 square metres (240,000 sq ft),[5] capable of accommodating 120,000 worshippers. The central nave of this hall is surrounded by colonnades, with the mihrab located to the east, made of white marble. The hall is topped by a dome with a diameter of 50 metres (160 ft), reaching a height of 70 metres (230 ft).

History

The project to provide the capital Algiers with a grand mosque was presented as an initiative of the former Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to mark his presidential mandates.[6]

The German consortium that designed Djamaâ El Djazaïr consisted of two architectural firms named "KSP Jürgen Engel Architekten"[7] and "Krebs und Kiefer"[8] until 2016. This German consortium won the international architectural competition for the project in January 2008, and the contract was signed in July 2008 for the execution in the presence of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The commission included general design and execution studies for all disciplines, as well as monitoring and control of the construction works of Djamaâ El Djazaïr. The design team consisted of over 100 architects and engineers. In 2007, the engineering and construction company Dessau-Soprin obtained the project management contract.[9]

The Chinese company China State Construction Engineering (CSCEC) was tasked with the construction of the Mosque El Djazaïr. The first concrete foundation casting operations began on 16 August 2012, after a launching ceremony. The construction was expected to create 17,000 jobs, with 10,000 workers from China and 7,000 from Algeria.[10]

The French engineering firm Socotec[11] later joined the project. The French consulting firm Egis oversaw the construction from February 2016 to verify the additional plans provided by CSCEC.

The Djamaâ El Djazaïr was financed by the Algerian state with an initial budget of one billion euros (approximately US$1.5 billion). The official cost of the mosque was $898 million.[12] The construction took seven years.[13]

The construction was criticized for its monumental aspect and its expensive costs.[14] Despite some criticisms, the inauguration and the first prayer inside the mosque attracted a large crowd of Algerian faithful.[15]

Architecture

The architecture of the mosque is of square geometry combining modern and traditional styles. It evokes the oldest type of mosque, the mosque with colonnades which open upwards like a flower while providing space for technical conduits.

The mosque sits on a site covering 27.75 hectares (68.6 acres)[16] and overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. The prayer hall has a capacity of 37,000 worshippers, while the structure including the compound can house up to 120,000 worshippers and has parking space for 7,000 cars. The complex also houses a Quran school, a park, a library, staff housing area, a fire station, a museum of Islamic art, and a research center on the history of Algeria.[17]

The mosque also has a 265-metre-tall (869 ft) minaret, the tallest in the world, which due to containing office space also meets the definition of a building, and was the tallest building in Africa until overtaken in 2024 by the Iconic Tower in Egypt's New Administrative Capital.[18] It also houses an observation deck atop the minaret, which has 37 floors. The mosque is designed to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 and the structure has been specially processed to resist corrosion. The main prayer hall has 618 octagonal columns serving as support pillars and 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) of calligraphic writing engraved with a laser system. The dome of the prayer hall has a diameter of 50 metres (160 ft) and rises to a height of 70 metres (230 ft).[19]

Access

Several roads and other means of access lead to Djamaâ El Djazaïr from the Algiers suburbs. It can be accessed by car via the northern ring road of Algiers, taking the Mohammadia/Grande Mosque exit.

The Algiers tramway provides access via the Pont El Harrach and Bellevue stations, located within a 10-minute walking distance of the mosque. The ETUSA bus line B19 passes near the mosque, which can connect it to the metro line M1 or to the Algiers commuter rail network via the Caroubier station. It will soon[when?] be possible to access the mosque by boat via the Algiers Marina project, north of the mosque, where a maritime terminal will be built. The mosque also has a helipad.

  • The mosque sahn
    The mosque sahn
  • Architecture of the pillars
    Architecture of the pillars
  • The mosque's logo in Arabic typography
    The mosque's logo in Arabic typography
  • The dome
    The dome
  • A view of the mosque minaret
    A view of the mosque minaret

See also

References

  1. ^ Saci, Yasmine (February 25, 2024). "President of the Republic chairs official inauguration of Djamaâ El-Djazaïr". Algeria Press Service. Archived from the original on February 25, 2024. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  2. ^ "Algeria builds giant mosque with world's tallest minaret". The Guardian. May 6, 2016. Archived from the original on July 5, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  3. ^ "Bouteflika's mosque seen as monument to megalomania in Algeria". Arab News. April 16, 2019. Archived from the original on April 16, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  4. ^ "La Grande Mosquée d'Alger, le chantier de trop du président déchu Abdelaziz Bouteflika". Le Monde.fr. Le Monde. April 3, 2019. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  5. ^ بطاقة فنية - جامع الجزائر (in Arabic). Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  6. ^ Meddi, Adlène (February 17, 2018). "Algérie : l'incroyable mosquée de Bouteflika". Le Point (in French). Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  7. ^ Architekten I KSP ENGEL. "Architekten I KSP ENGEL". Ksp engel (in German). Archived from the original on January 30, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2023..
  8. ^ "Kuk - KREBS+KIEFER". KREBS+KIEFER Service GmbH. Archived from the original on August 27, 2018. Retrieved June 3, 2020..
  9. ^ "Dessau-Soprin remporte le contrat". Djazairess. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved June 4, 2020..
  10. ^ "Algérie : la grande mosquée d'Alger, les raisons de la colère – Jeune Afrique". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  11. ^ "Building trust for a safer and sustainable world". SOCOTEC Global. Archived from the original on February 7, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2023..
  12. ^ "Rebalancing Algeria's Economic Relations with China". www.chathamhouse.org. December 3, 2020. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  13. ^ Mounia, Boudjedri. "Grande Mosquée d'Alger: un coût de réalisation de près de 900 mns d'euros". www.aps.dz (in French). Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  14. ^ "La Grande Mosquée d'Alger, le chantier de trop du président déchu Abdelaziz Bouteflika". Le Monde.fr. April 3, 2019. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  15. ^ "Djamaâ el Djazaïr: la prière du vendredi suspendue à partir du 13 novembre". Algeria Presse Service. November 10, 2020. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022.
  16. ^ "Djamaâ El-Djazaïr sélectionnée une des meilleures conceptions architecturales au monde en 2021". Algérie presse service. APS. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  17. ^ "Africa's largest mosque has been completed with thanks to China". Quartz. April 28, 2019. Archived from the original on July 3, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  18. ^ "2019 was record-breaking year for supertall skyscrapers". dezeen.com. January 17, 2020. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  19. ^ "Great Mosque of Algiers: an architectural masterpiece and a religious and cultural monument". Algeria Press Service. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jemma_Al_Djazair