Oran

• Oran is one of the largest cities in the Algerian Republic. This coastal city is about 430 km² from the capital, and is considered an important commercial and economic center; Because it overlooks the Gulf of Oran in the western Mediterranean. The people of the city like to call it Al-Bahia, due to its natural beauty that captures hearts, and attracts tourists and gatherers from all parts of the country and abroad, especially in the summer and spring seasons, as it is considered a destination for tourists and merchants as well. This ancient city contains many industries, especially petrochemicals, iron and steel.

• The establishment of the city goes back to the movement of merchants and mariners who were coming from the countries of the Maghreb and Andalusia in the tenth century AD to Algeria via the Gulf of Oran, which the city with the same name overlooks. Then the city was occupied by the Spain before the Ottoman armies expelled them from it in 1792 AD, but the French occupied the city again, until the independence of Algeria. Of course, the movement of Andalusian merchants and tourists, as well as the French and Spanish occupation, had a special characteristic that remains to this day on the city, as architecture in the city of Oran combines two different styles, one of them is modern due to the French taste, and the other is old due to the Andalusian and Spanish style, and this increases the beauty and nobility of the city than the other Algerian cities.

• The city of Oran includes many important tourist and archaeological attractions, and among the most important of these antiquities are:

Fort Santa Cruz: It is a very large castle built by the Spaniards on top of the highest mountain in the city; To protect it from any external aggression, this castle witnesses the influx of thousands of visitors and tourists annually.

Bey Palace: It is a very huge palace, which includes many corridors, silos and historical monuments that date back to different eras, and dozens of rulers from the occupiers flocked to it. It was the ruler's home in this city at that time, and it was a palace, a castle and a fort at the same time. Because of the city’s prosperity with tourist attractions, archaeological sites and picturesque natural areas, Algerians called it the capital of the Algerian West, due to its strategic, economic and maritime importance.