Oran

Oran  is a city in northwestern Algeria, situated on the Mediterranean coast. During French rule in Algeria Oran was the prefecture of the Oran département. It now is the capital of the much smaller Oran Province (wilaya). The city has a population of ca. 1 million and the urban area has a population of ca. 2 million. Oran is a major port and a commercial and industrial center in western Algeria.

Oran was founded in 903 by Moorish Andalusian traders, but was captured by the Spanish under Cardinal Cisneros in 1509. Spanish sovereignty lasted until 1708, when the city was conquered by the Ottomans. Spain returned in 1732 taking the city over again. However, its value as trade post had decreased greatly, so King Charles IV sold the city to the Turkish. Ottoman rule lasted until 1831, when it fell to the French. During the French colonial rule over Algeria, Oran was the capital of a département of the same name.

During World War II, Oran was held by Vichy France until it was captured by the Allies in late 1942, during Operation Torch.

Before the Algerian War of Independence, Oran had one of the highest proportions of Europeans of any city in North Africa. However, by the end of the war, most of the Europeans and Jews living in Oran had fled to France. The July 5, 1962 massacre of European civilians, four days after the Independence vote, triggered the exodus to France. In less than three months Oran lost about half its population.

In the 1960s, the city became a flourishing and increasingly important center of both business and education.

Today, Oran is a major port and a commercial centre, and has 3 universities. The old quarter of Oran has a casbah and an 18th-century mosque.

Both El Gallardo Espanol (1615) by Miguel de Cervantes and, Albert Camus's 1947 novel The Plague take place in Oran.

JOURNEYS trips that include Oran:

Ancient Algeria and Morocco from Nov. 3-17, 2007 with Will Weber

Cairo to Casablanca Overland Adventure from Oct. 13-Nov. 23, 2007 with Will Weber