Djamaa el Kebir of Algiers

The Great Mosque of Algiers was founded in 1097 under the Almoravids and is the oldest mosque in the city and one of the oldest still in use in the country. Its prayer hall is a forest of horseshoe arches on plain piers in the western Islamic manner, sober and without ornament, and the minaret was added in the fourteenth century under the Zayyanids. The arcaded gallery along the street front, with its white columns, dates from the nineteenth century, when the road outside was widened. It sits low among the buildings of the lower town rather than dominating them, and it continues in daily use as it has for over nine hundred years.

What you actually see

• Horseshoe arches on plain piers - the Almoravid prayer hall.
• The fourteenth-century minaret - the Zayyanid addition.
• The nineteenth-century arcaded front - the gallery along the street.
• Nine centuries of continuous use - the oldest mosque in the city.

When to go

October to May. One hour. Visiting is outside prayer times; modest dress is required and women should cover the head.

Honest expectations

Access for non-Muslims is at the discretion of those at the door and is not guaranteed. The street outside is narrow and heavily trafficked. Interior photography is usually not permitted. There is no interpretation.

Nearby

Djamaa el Djedid is nearby; the Casbah rises behind.