LARGE MOSQUE

Begun in 1102 by Youssef Ibn Tachfine, the Almoravid founder of Tlemcen, its construction was completed by his son around 1135, who embellished the minaret, the mihrab - of Andalusian inspiration, one of the most beautiful in the Maghreb - and the cupola in front of it. A century later, Yaghmoracen had seven new naves and a central dome built. Located in the heart of the city, the Grande Mosquée is remarkable for the regularity of its harmonious proportions, its exquisite decoration and for being one of only three Almoravid mosques in Algeria - the other two are in Algiers and Nédroma. You first enter the large prayer hall (50 x 25 m), with its thirteen naves and five rows of 72 pillars of different shapes. On the south wall, a finely carved wooden tablet evokes the existence of a fine library founded in the ^14th century by Sultan Abou Hammou. The chandelier adorning the central nave is a copy of a chandelier donated by Yaghmoracen, the remains of which (the chandelier!) can be seen in the city's museum. This room leads to the 20 x 20 m courtyard, adorned with a translucent onyx basin. The rectangular brick minaret, 29 m high and with 133 steps, is one of the oldest in the country. On the south-western side of the mosque, the koubba of Sidi Merzouk is all that remains of the Béni Zianes necropolis, and may house the remains of Yaghmoracen. A must-see during your stay in Tlemcen!