Djamaa el Djazair

Djamaa el Djazair stands on the eastern side of the bay of Algiers, structurally completed in 2019 and formally inaugurated in 2024, and it is very large by any measure: a prayer hall for tens of thousands under a wide dome, a courtyard, a library, a museum of Islamic art and a research centre, laid out on a long axis facing the sea. Its minaret rises 265 metres, which makes it the tallest minaret in the world, with a viewing level and a lift. The design draws on Andalusian and Maghrebi motifs worked at a scale that is entirely modern, in white concrete, marble and cut plaster, with landscaped grounds along the front.

What you actually see

• A 265-metre minaret - the tallest of its kind anywhere.
• The prayer hall under its dome - capacity in the tens of thousands.
• Andalusian and Maghrebi motifs at scale - traditional detail worked in modern materials.
• The sea frontage - the axis running toward the bay.

When to go

October to May. Two to three hours. Visiting is outside prayer times and around Friday prayers. Modest dress is required. Access arrangements for the minaret change; check locally.

Honest expectations

Access rules for non-Muslims and for the minaret have changed repeatedly since opening and are not reliable. The scale means a lot of walking on open ground with little shade. Parts of the complex including the museum have opened slowly.

Nearby

Central Algiers is west; the bay runs along the front.