Abdellah Ben Salem Mosque

The Abdellah Ben Salem Mosque is a mosque in Oran, Algeria. Formerly the Great Synagogue of Oran, it became the biggest synagogue in Africa. Its creation commenced in 1879 on the initiative of Simon Kanoui, and took 38 years to complete. Also known as Temple Israélite, it became located on Boulevard Joffre, currently Boulevard Maata Mohamed El Habib. Once Algeria received its independence in 1962, almost all Algerian Jews, who have been taken into consideration French citizens since the Cremieux Decree of 1870, relocated to France along the Pied-Noir community.

In 1975, the synagogue became transformed right into a mosque and named after Abdullah ibn Salam, a seventh-century Jew from Medina and associate of Muhammad who converted to Islam. Its fashion indicates Neo-Mudejar and Moorish Revival impacts. Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the unique revival architectural patterns that have been adopted through architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of the Romanticist fascination with all matters oriental.