On February 25, Algeria officially inaugurated the massive Islamic church, locally known as Djamaa El-Djazair, after many years of delay. This is the largest project in Africa and has the tallest tower in the world, 265 meters high, capable of holding about 120,000 people.
Built by the State Construction Technical Group of China (CSCEC), the Algiers converted Church was officially opened on February 25, the solemn month of Ramadan for Hoi giao. The Algiers Cathedral is said to be the third largest such such such church in the world, after the most sacred sites in Islam in Mecca and Medina.
Built in 2010, the Great bull has a modern design, combining decorative details from Arabia and North Africa, spanning an area of 27.75 hectares. There is the Museum of Islamic Civilization, the Cultural Center, a conference hall and a library. In addition, there is the Institute of Advanced Islamic Sciences, including research rooms and laboratories.
The mosque has been open to international and state-level tourists for about five years and has been open for worship since October 2020, but the previous official inauguration plan has been delayed.
At the official inauguration event on February 25, President of Algeria Abdelmadjid Tebboune said Djamaa El-Djazair should guide Hoi giaoans towards the values of harmony and eliminating extremistry - according to the Algeria Press Agency. Promoting moderate Islam has been a top priority for the North African nation since the government quelling an Hoi giao rebellion in the 1990s, during a civil war of violence that swept across the country.
The project is estimated to cost nearly $900 million, initiated by former North African president Abdelaziz Bouteflike, who was forced to resign in 2019 after two decades in power.
Bouteflike had planned to name the mosque after him and inaugurate it in February 2019, but protests against his rule prevented him from doing so.
An estimated 99% of the 44 million people in Algeria are Sunni Hoi giao, the largest branch of Islam in the world.
