A huge mosque has been inaugurated in Algiers, the capital of Algeria. The Great Mosque of Algiers is the third largest in the world, the largest in Africa and the largest outside the holy cities of Islam. British newspaper The Guardian gave the news in a report.
It has been said that 120,000 people can pray in the prayer room of The Great Mosque of Algiers. The Great Mosque of Algiers has the tallest minaret in the world—at 265 meters (869 ft). The construction of this mosque has been going on for almost the entire decade of 2010 by a Chinese construction company at state expense. Its construction costs have increased repeatedly to make the structure a symbol of Algerian power and religion.
The design of the mosque has an integrated touch of modernity and tradition. It highlights the heritage and culture of Algeria as well as the prosperity of Arab and North Africa. The mosque has a helicopter landing pad. There is also a library here. About 1 million books can be kept there.
The General Secretary of the World Union of Muslim Scholars, Ali Mohammad Salabi, expressed hope that the opening of the mosque will lead Muslims towards good and moderation.
Algerian government forces defeated Islamist-led rebel groups in a bloody civil war that lasted through the 1990s. Since then the government has prioritized the development of a moderate identity of Islam in Algeria.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Teboune officially inaugurated the mosque. However, the mosque remained open to tourists and state visitors for about five years. Only its official opening has been delayed. The mosque was officially opened to the public to facilitate prayers during the upcoming Ramadan.
However, there were many controversies surrounding the delay of the project. Experts have warned that the site where the mosque, which has been under construction for seven years, is prone to earthquakes. However, this warning was not acknowledged in the press release published by state news agency APS on Sunday.
Many Algerians criticized the project. According to them, with this money, at least four hospitals could have been built across the country.
The initial budget of the project was estimated to be around 900 million dollars. The mosque was originally a project of former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika. He wanted the mosque to be called the ‘Abdelaziz Bouteflika Mosque’ as his legacy. However, this wish of Bouteflika, who was forced to resign in the face of rebellion in 2019, was not fulfilled. He could not even inaugurate it as per the scheduled schedule in February 2019.
The construction of a major national highway and 10 lakh new housing units along with the construction of mosques have been accompanied by many allegations of corruption
