Maqam Echahid (Martyrs' Memorial)

Maqam Echahid, which means Martyrs' Memorial, is a giant concrete monument in Algiers, the capital of Algeria. It remembers the people who died in the Algerian War of Independence. It looks like three huge palm leaves leaning together, and under them an eternal flame burns.

The memorial opened on 5 July 1982, the 20th anniversary of Algeria's independence. Its height is given as about 92 meters on the card here and 96 meters in one source. It stands on the heights above the bay, so it is easy to see from many places in the city. At the foot of each leaf is a bronze soldier.

What does the design mean?

The monument has three tall, stylized fins that join at mid-height, shaped like palm leaves. They shelter the Eternal Flame. At the edge of each leaf stands a statue of a soldier, and each soldier stands for one stage of Algeria's fight for independence. Above the three fins, about 14 meters from the ground, there is a small turret in Islamic style, topped by a 6-meter dome. Underground are a crypt, an amphitheater and the National Museum of El Mujahid.

Who built it?

The idea came from President Houari Boumedienne, but the memorial was finished under his successor, Chadli Bendjedid. The Canadian company Lavalin did the studies and the building work, based on a model from the Fine Arts Institute of Algiers led by Bashir Yelles. The monument was built on the site of an old military fort. In 2017 a new LED lighting system with 40 floodlights was added, and the monument can be seen up to 35 kilometers away across the Bay of Algiers.

On the globe

The model shows three tall concrete palm leaves around the eternal flame, with a soldier statue at the foot of each. Look for the three leaning fins above the bay.