Abdellah Ben Salem Mosque

The Abdellah Ben Salem Mosque is a mosque in Oran, Algeria. Formerly the Great Synagogue of Oran, it was the largest synagogue in Africa. Also known as Temple Israélite, it was located on Boulevard Joffre, currently Boulevard Maata Mohamed El Habib.

History

Construction of the Orthodox Jewish synagogue began in 1879 at the initiative of Simon Kanoui, and took 38 years to complete. The synagogue was completed in the Neo-Mudéjar and Moorish Revival styles. When Algeria gained its independence in 1962, almost all Algerian Jews, who were considered French citizens since the Crémieux Decree of 1870, were repatriated to France alongside the Pied-Noir settlers.
In 1975, the synagogue was converted into a mosque and named after Abdullah ibn Salam, a seventh-century Jew from Medina and companion of Muhammad who converted to Islam.