Minaret Evolution and the Metamorphosis of Urban Form: A Typomorphological Analysis of Contemporary Mosques in Algiers and Constantine

This study investigates the evolution of the contemporary minaret in Algeria as a key determinant of urban form, utilising a comparative typomorphological analysis of the Emir Abdelkader Mosque (Constantine) and the Great Mosque of Algiers. Grounded in the methodological frameworks of Moudon and Panerai, the research examines the transition of the minaret from a religious appendage to an autonomous urban landmark that reconfigures the metropolitan skyline and spatial structure. By analysing the dialectical relationship between heritage and modernity, the study explores how the square-plan archetype – a morphological constant in Maghrebi settlements – is transformed through extreme verticality and functional hybridisation. Findings reveal two divergent evolutionary paths: the "integrated" model in Constantine, which preserves traditional spatial massing within the urban fabric, and the "autonomous" model in Algiers, where the minaret acts as a sovereign urban needle and a multi-functional institution (museum/research centre). The paper concludes that the contemporary minaret has evolved into a strategic instrument that actively restructures the surrounding urban form and territorial identity, demonstrating that its extreme verticality functions less as a stylistic statement and more as a primary driver of macro-scale spatial configuration.