Ben Farès Mosque
The Ben Farès Mosque, also known as Djamaa Ben Farès and formerly as Djamâa Lihoud, is a mosque located on Place Randon in Algiers, the capital of Algeria. The mosque is located in the Casbah of Algiers, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Built by Napoleon III in 1865 as a synagogue and named as the Great Synagogue of Algiers, the structure was abandoned by Jews in 1962, during the independence of Algeria, and repurposed as a mosque.
History
Supported by funding from the French government, large synagogues were constructed in Algiers, Oran, and Setif, to establish a public Jewish presence in parallel to Roman Catholic cathedrals and grand mosques. In 1839 the French government tore down several buildings and synagogues in the Jewish quarter as part of urban renewal and promised in return to provide FF120,000 toward the construction of a grand synagogue. It took 25 years for the synagogue to be inaugurated on September 19, 1865, on the site of an ancient mosque on Place Randon.On 11 December 1960, Algerian rebels battling French rule took over the synagogue. Protesting against a visit by General de Gaulle, Algerian rebels were fired upon by Jews from nearby balconies forcing them to attack the synagogue. the rebels raised a green and white flag above the synagogue. After two days of rioting, French forces restored order. The synagogue was abandoned.
In 1962 the former synagogue was converted into the Ben Farès Mosque. Much of the exterior of the former synagogue was preserved, with the only major change was the addition of an octagonal minaret. Inside the former synagogue, all Jewish symbols were removed. The Torah ark was replaced by a mihrab. The building is sometimes referred to as the Mosque of the Jews.