Maqam Echahid
| Martyrs Memorial مقام الشهيد |
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|---|---|
| Algeria | |
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| For Heroes killed in action during the Algerian war of independence | |
| Unveiled | 1982 |
| Location |
36°44′45″N 3°4′11″E / 36.74583°N 3.06972°ECoordinates: 36°44′45″N 3°4′11″E / 36.74583°N 3.06972°E in Algiers,  Algeria
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| Designed by | Bachir Yelles, Marian Konieczny |
The Maqam Echahid (Arabic: مقام الشهيد, Arabic pronunciation: [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.
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.
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).
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.
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