Culture

Algeria inaugurates Africa’s largest Mosque

Published

9 months ago

February 26, 2024

Algeria on Sunday inaugurated Africa’s largest Mosque on its Mediterranean coastline after years of political upheaval and delays over funds and cost overruns.

The gigantic worship centre, which is the third largest in the world, was constructed by a Chinese construction firm throughout the 2010s.

Known as the Great Mosque of Algiers, the edifice features the world’s tallest minaret measuring at 869 feet (265 meters) and is the third largest mosque in the world outside Islam’s holiest cities.

The prayer room accommodates 120,000 people while the modernist design contains Arab and North African flourishes to honor Algerian tradition and culture as well as a helicopter landing pad and a library that can house up to one million books.

The General Secretary of World Union of Muslim Ulemas, Ali Mohamed Salabi who spoke at the inauguration, “the Mosque would guide Muslims toward goodness and moderation.”

Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboune who inaugurated the mosque, said it was in fulfilment of his promise to open it with great pomp and circumstance.

Before the official inauguration, the Mosque had been open to international tourists and state visitors to Algeria for roughly five years.

The timing of the opening also allows the Mosque to officially open to the public in time to host nightly prayers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins next month.

The Mosque was originally a project of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who designed it to be the largest in Africa at a cost of $898 million

Local media said at the time that Bouteflika wanted it to be his legacy and called “Abdelaziz Bouteflika Mosque” much like Mosque Hassan II in Casablanca, Morocco named after the former King of Morocco, Algeria’s neighbour and regional rival, which was once touted as Africa’s largest Mosque.

Related Topics:Algeria Featured Great Mosque Religion

Click to comment

Culture

South African DJ Black Coffee bags World’s Best DJ 2024

Published

1 day ago

November 23, 2024

Isaac Dachen

South African disc jockey, DJ Black Coffee, has been named the World’s Best DJ 2024 at the Golden Moon Awards.

Reporting on the award, prominent South African tabloid, IOL, wrote:

“All hail Black Coffee from South Africa, winner of the Golden Moon award for the World’s Best DJ 2024! Black Coffee has taken the global stage by storm, blending his unique Afro-house sound with deep, soulful grooves that resonate with audiences worldwide.

“A pioneer, a visionary, and a cultural ambassador, Black Coffee continues to inspire millions, pushing boundaries and connecting the world through his music. A truly deserving icon of this prestigious honour!”

DJ Black Coffee whose real name is Nkosinathi Maphumulo, was not the only local South African entertainer who was recognised at the awards as rising star, Palesa Desiree Shilabje, popularly known as DESIREE, was also named the World’s Breakthrough Artist 2024.

On DESIREE, the tabloid said:

“DESIREE’s rise to prominence comes from her ability to craft electrifying DJ sets that seamlessly blend genres—African-inspired house, deep house, techno, and soulful rhythms.

“Her passion for diverse sounds has landed her on some of the world’s most respected stages, like DC-10, fabric, and Hï Ibiza, bringing her deep African influences to a global audience.

“Beyond her music, DESIREE proudly represents the intersex community, using her platform to inspire and educate about her experience. A truly groundbreaking artist, DESIREE is already leaving an unforgettable legacy.”

The Golden Moon Awards are held every year to select the best 100 clubs in the world and to award prizes in different categories to the major players in nightlife, individuals, clubs and associations.

Culture

DRC authorities arrest six over break-in at Lumumba’s Mausoleum

Published

3 days ago

November 21, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) say six people have been arrested over a break-in and vandalism at the mausoleum of the country’s assassinated independence leader, Patrice Lumumba, in Kinshasa, the country’s capital.

The police had announced the six arrests late Wednesday and said they were still looking for two more suspects.

Interior Minister, Jacquemin Shabani, said in a statement that during the break-in which occurred on Monday, a case containing a single gold-capped tooth, the only part of the former leader that remained after his assassination, was broken by the vandals.

“We assure that the relic is secure and it is protected,” the minister said, without offering more information.

The return of Lumumba’s tooth from former colonizer Belgium in 2022 had been celebrated around Congo, with the tooth taken around the vast country so people could pay their respects.

Lumumba is widely hailed as the nationalist activist who helped end colonial rule in the DRC and went on to become the country’s first prime minister and was seen as one of Africa’s most promising new leaders, but he was assassinated within a year in 1961.

His body was dismembered and dissolved with acid in an apparent effort to keep any grave from becoming a pilgrimage site.

For many in Congo, Lumumba is a symbol of the positive developments the country could have achieved after its independence but instead, it became mired in decades of dictatorship that drained its vast mineral riches.

A military coup toppled Lumumba, who was arrested, jailed and later killed. His assassination, blamed on separatists, cleared the way for the rise of Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled the country he later renamed Zaire for decades with support from Western powers until his death in 1997.

His one remaining tooth was kept by the Belgian police commissioner who oversaw the destruction of his body.

The tooth was returned to Congo after the visit of Belgium’s King Philippe, who expressed regrets for his nation’s abuses in Congo when it was a Belgian colony.