The Great Mosque of Algiers (Djamaâ el Djazaïr) is one of the most ambitious building projects in recent Algerian history. Located in the Mohammadia district west of the centre, the mosque can hold up to 120,000 worshippers and its minaret is visible from much of the city.
The building combines modern engineering with Moorish-Andalusian architectural references. Non-Muslim visitors are not generally admitted to the prayer hall, but the exterior and the vast forecourt give a sense of the monument's extraordinary scale. The access road leads through the Mohammadia district, which has several interesting 1970s architectural set pieces from Algeria's socialist period.