Unveiled 1982 Opened 1982 | ||
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The Maqam Echahid (Arabic: مقام الشهيد, [mækæːm elchæːhiːd], English: Martyrs' Memorial) is an iconic concrete monument commemorating the Algerian war for independence. The monument was opened in 1982 on the 20th anniversary of Algeria's independence. It is fashioned in the shape of three standing palm leaves which shelter the "Eternal Flame" beneath. At the edge of each palm leaf stands a statue of a soldier, each representing a stage of Algeria's struggle.
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Localisation
The Martyrs Memorial is located on the heights of Algiers, in the municipality of El Madania, west of the Bois des arcades, east of the city Diar el Mahçoul and north of the plaza shopping center Riadh El Feth. It overlooks the neighborhood of Hamma (common Belouizdad) and the Experimental Garden of el-Hamma in the north. The monument has been erected on the site of an ancient military fort.
Description
Consisting of three stylized fins that join mid-height, the concrete monument built by the Canadian company Lavalin, based on a model produced in the Fine Art Institute of Algiers, under the leadership of Bashir Yelles, reaches a height of 92 metres (302 ft). Above the three supporting fins, at 14 metres (47 ft) from the ground, is an Islamic style turret with a diameter of 10 metres (33 ft) and a height of 7.6 metres (25 ft), topped by a dome of 6 metres (20 ft). It rests on an esplanade that burns an "eternal flame" and includes a crypt, an amphitheater and the Museum of El Mujahid (underground).
Construction
The project to build a memorial in memory of the dead from the War of Independence is the brainchild of President Houari Boumedienne. Its implementation was, however, completed under the presidency of his successor Chadli Bendjedid.
The company Lavalin is responsible of the studies and construction of the monument. Several Algerian artists involved, like the painter Bashir Yelles, the calligrapher Abdelhamid Skander and the Polish sculptor Marian Konieczny.
The completion of the work was a real technological challenge because of the constraints inherent to the geometry of the assembly, especially the curvature of the fins, the situation of the site at the edge of a steep cliff and high seismicity of the region. Pierre Lamarre, director of engineering and structural design, Claude Naud, expert planning and construction methods, along with Bashir Yelles, imagined a solution that proved itself decisive and innovative.
Nine months (November 15, 1981 to July 5, 1982) were necessary to build this architectural work. The monument was inaugurated by the then President Chadli Bendjedid in February 1986.