Glass minaret
Glittering at night.
Amanidjilali — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mohamed-Bachir Belaid — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Touf add — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dezedien — CC BY-SA 4.0
The largest mosque in Oran and western Algeria, officially inaugurated in April 2015 after many years of construction and named after the scholar Abdelhamid Ben Badis, pioneer of reform and renewal in Algeria, with a striking glass minaret 104 metres high and a large dome. The design blends the Andalusian-Maghrebi style with modern architecture, with wide arches, geometric ornament and Arabic calligraphy, two prayer halls holding some twenty-five thousand worshippers, a broad esplanade around it, a library and a Quranic school. The glass minaret is a landmark on Oran's skyline, glittering at night when lit, and the mosque is visible from the city's eastern approaches. Major religious occasions and Eid prayers are held here before large congregations. Entry is free outside prayer times, in modest dress with women covering their hair. Evening, when the minaret is lit, is the best time to visit.
Glittering at night.
25,000 worshippers.
Around the mosque.
Sidi El Bachir, east Oran
It was officially inaugurated in April 2015 and is the largest mosque in western Algeria.