Oran (Arabic: وهران) is a major city on the Mediterranean coast in northwestern Algeria. The name comes from the Berber word Uhran meaning The Lions.
During French rule, Oran was a prefecture in the Oran département. It is now the capital of the smaller Oran Province (wilaya). The city has a population of 683,250 (2006), while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 2 million, making it the second largest city in Algeria. Oran is ...
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Oran (Arabic: وهران) is a major city on the Mediterranean coast in northwestern Algeria. The name comes from the Berber word Uhran meaning The Lions.
During French rule, Oran was a prefecture in the Oran département. It is now the capital of the smaller Oran Province (wilaya). The city has a population of 683,250 (2006), while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 2 million, making it the second largest city in Algeria. Oran is a major port, and since the 1960s has been the commercial, industrial, and educational centre of western Algeria.
Oran was founded in 903 by Moorish Andalusi 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 recaptured the city in 1732. However, its value as a trading post had decreased greatly, so King Charles IV sold the city to the Turks in 1792. Ottoman rule lasted until 1831, when it fell to the French.
During French rule over...
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