Africa's largest mosque opens in Algeria

Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Sunday officially opened The Great Mosque of Algiers, the largest mosque in Africa.

It is also the third largest in the world, after the mosques in Saudi Arabia's Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

The massive mosque is spread across 70 acres (28 hectares) and can hold up to 120,000 worshippers at one time.

It also has the world's tallest minaret, which is the tower used to project the Muslim call to prayer.

The mosque was constructed over seven years, costing more than $800m (£631m).

It is expected to host prayers during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which begins in two weeks.

The mosque was a project of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who stepped down in 2019 after his bid for a fifth term in office led to massive protests.