Algeria has revealed a large mosque on its Mediterranean coast, after years of political turbulence that hampered its development.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune formally inaugurated the mosque on Sunday, according to the AP.
According to the Associated Press, a Chinese construction business built ‘the Great Mosque of Algiers’ throughout the 2010s.
The mosque is reported to have the world’s highest minaret, standing at 265 metres (869 feet).
It is said to be the third-largest mosque in the world, the largest in Africa, and the largest outside of Islam’s holiest places, with a prayer area capable of accommodating 120,000 people.
It also has a helicopter landing pad and a library that can house up to one million volumes.
In addition to its huge size, the mosque received attention for the various delays and controversies that occurred during its seven-year construction period, particularly the choice of a site that experts warned was prone to seismic activity.
According to the Associated Press, the state denied the assertion in a statement published on Sunday on the state news agency’s website, APS.
The official cost of the project was $898 million.
