Ketchaoua Mosque

The Ketchaoua mosque stands at the foot of the Casbah of Algiers, on a stepped street where the old town begins, and its history is layered. It was founded in 1612 under Ottoman rule, was taken over and rebuilt as a cathedral in the nineteenth century in a heavy neo-Moorish and Byzantine manner with twin towers and a broad stair, and returned to use as a mosque in 1962. Structural damage and earthquakes left it closed for years until a full restoration funded by Turkey reopened it in 2018. The building now shows all of those phases at once, and it stands within the Casbah, inscribed by UNESCO as World Heritage in 1992.

What you actually see

• The twin-towered front - the nineteenth-century rebuilding above the stair.
• Layered building phases - Ottoman, colonial-era and modern restoration.
• The stepped Casbah street - the setting the mosque opens onto.
• The restored interior - marble, plasterwork and the prayer hall.

When to go

October to May. One hour. It is a working mosque; visits are outside prayer times and modest dress is required. Women should cover the head.

Honest expectations

Access for non-Muslims depends on the day and on who is at the door; it is not guaranteed. Prayer times close it to visitors. The surrounding Casbah streets are steep, narrow and in poor repair. Photography inside may not be permitted.

Nearby

The Casbah rises behind; Place des Martyrs is below.