A few steps from the Djemma el-Djedid, the Djemaa el-Kebir continues a tradition that goes back to the early history of Algiers. On a rise above the inner port, early Berber and Phoenician inhabitants built places of prayer here, which the Romans turned into a temple; later it was converted into a Christian basilica. One apse of the basilica faced east and was hung with carpets and icons. This was later torn down and replaced, in the 11th century, by the mosque, which has since been much altered and enlarged. Inside the five doors the prayer hall is supported by rows of columns, 72 in all, and contains a cedarwood minbar which carries an inscription stating that the mihrab, the niche indicating the direction of Mecca, was constructed in 490AH (AD 1097). This supports the idea that the mosque was built by Youssef ben Tachfine, the Almoravid ruler of Tlemcen at a time when the Mediterranean was transformed by the First Crusade. The minaret, 15m high, carries an inscription urging us to contemplate its beauty and the magnificent appearance of its crowns.
