Oran
A destination not to be missed, is the exciting birthplace of Rae music, the coastal city of Oran, being the second largest city in Algeria, was originally founded by Moorish Andalusian traders around AD937. Due to the coastal location, it developed into a thriving trade industry and developed strong business ties with the Spanish who took occupation of Oran. Then invading Ottoman forces captured the city but the Spanish reclaimed Oran two years later, only to abandon it after an earthquake in 1790.
The Frenche occupied the city in the 19th century and contributed to Oran becoming the industrial, cultural and educational centre for the country. With such a rich and diverse history, the older parts of Oran have fascinating sight seeing opportunities such as The Great Mosque. Built in 1769, this mosque is open to the public which is quite unusual in this part of the world. The Marabout Sidi Mohammed El Haouri is built in Andalusian architecture and the Demaegth Museum has exhibitions that contains prehistoric archaeological findings from throughout the Maghreb (West), ethnological displays and a natural history exhibit.
The Cathedral de Sacré Coeur was opened in 1913 by the French and later converted into a public library. Take a trip to the beaches away from the city and relax in the sand and refreshing sea water or stay in luxury at the Sheraton Oran Hotel & Towers. It opened in September 2005 and constructed to appear as a boat on a cliff where each of the 300 rooms has an ocean view. The second largest lake, Petit Lac will become host to tourist developments and water sports. Apart from the pristine beaches, Oran also offers tourists excellent historical attractions such as the incredible Santa Cruz fort.
