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Oran, Algeria

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Oran
Kaśka Glanc

Oran, Algeria
General
A city in northern Algeria and a seat of Oran wilaya. It is located at the Mediterranean Sea and has a population of about 860 000. It is Algeria's second biggest city and one of the country's busiest ports as well as being a main trading and business centre. Goods produced in Oran comprise chemicals, plastics, wine and processed food.

Violence & thefts
See: Algiers

What to see and what to visit
Oran is famous for being the home of the world famous music form of Ra?. 1849. Much of Oran's success in present times is thanks to the French. And there is a lot to see around although the city is far from typical tourist tracks. The Great Mosque was built in 1796,as a tribute to the liberation from the Spanish. You can both go into the mosque and the minaret. The Marabout Sidi Mohammed El Haouri from 1793 is worth visiting, because it represents Andalusian architecture. The Demaegth Museum is a place, where you can admire exhibits from different times. The Chateau Neuf was built by the Spanish. Cathedral de Sacré Coeur is now a public library, and can be entered and visited free of charge..
The beaches near the centre are highly unrecommended, because they are very dirty and very dirty, but if you go out from town some nice sandy place are easy to find.

History
The town was founded by sailors from Andalusia in 937 A.D. and it became a big city under Zianid rule, having trading connections with Spain, which ended in Spanish invasion in the 16th century. Soon after that Oran was conquered by Ottoman armed forces. The Spanish regained the city two years later but a strong earthquake destroyed most of Oran in 1790.
French colonialists occupied the city since 1831.
A famous writer Albert Camus (Nobel-prize winner) was born in here and portrayed the city in ?The Plague?. French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent was born in Oran, too.
When the colonialism in Algeria ended in 1962 over 200,000 European citizens left Oran. It took a long time for the city to restart, but nowadays Oran has regained its place as one of Algeria's most significant cities.

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