 ORAN |
Oran, in Arabic Wahran, is located at the centre
of the Oranie region, of which it is the capital.
It is also the second largest town and the second
largest port as well as the economic metropolis
of the Western region.
Oran is located in an open bay and is dominated
at the west by the mountain Aïdour.
Oran was founded in 903 by the Arabs of Andalusia
under the name of Ifri. The port of Oran developped
rapidly, and the town quickly became properous.
Trading relations with the mediterranean countries
began under the Zianides dynasty of Tlemcen.
The Spanish, which stayed in Oran for a couple of
centuries (until the beginning of the 18th century)
left their mark on various monuments such as Santa-Cruz.
In 1791, following an earthquake (2.000 victims)
and attacks from the Bey of Mascara, the king of
Spain, Charles VI, negociated the surrender of Oran
with the Dey of Algiers.
The French invaded Oran in 1831. From 1962, after
the independence, its activities as trading metropolis
started again and it experienced a great expansion
symbolised by the construction of numerous buildings
such as the university campus.
There are plenty of sites to visit in Oran since
it is one the richest towns of Algeria. Indeed the
ruins are symbol of its history:
- The Mosque Mohamed Ben Othman, known as Mohamed
El Kébir for liberating Oran from the
Spanish. The Bey built it for his grave.
- The Mosque Djamaa El Pacha was built in 1796
by the Bey Mohamed Ben Othman, it was dedicated
to the Dey of Algiers
- The Fort : it is located on the cliff road
outside Oran, it was built by the Spanish in
1742.
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- Santa-Cruz : when the Spanish took hold of
Oran at the beginning of the 16th century, they
fortified Santa-Cruz
- Place du 1er novembre : it is the most famous
place of Oran, decorated at the centre by a
stele at the effigy of the Emir Abdelkader.
The theatre Abdelkader Allouala is also located
there.
- The old part of the town, especially the Gènes
street and la Calère, the first and oldest
district, which Albert Camus used for his novel
la Peste (the Plague).
- The ALN boulevard, or sea front, promenade
by the port and the Mediterranean sea
- The green theatre, where all the open air
galas take place in the summer. To get to the
theatre, you have to cross a very nice garden,
which used to be called le Petit Vichy
- The Blanca, Canastel gate, where all the trading
traffic took place by the time of the Spanish
- The Medina Djedida, where you can find commercial
products
- Various beaches : Bou Sfer, Bomo beach, Ain
El Turck, Mers El Kébir bay, picturesque
village where the old fort Djebel El Marsa was
built in 1347.
It is very easy to find some very comfortable hotels
as well as various restaurants of Algerian specialities.
| Hotels |
Phoenix, Rond point de l'aéroport,
Es Senia, 041 41 89 91
Le Bel Air, 12 rue de l'Escalone, 041 45
54 32
Le Royal Hôtel, 03 boulevard de la
Soumam, 041 39 31 44
Hôtel Résidence Le Timgad, 22
boulevard Emir Abdelkader, 041 39 47 97
Grand Hôtel, 05 place du Maghreb, 041
39 54 69
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