Oran

Oran (Arab, Waran), a seaport of Algeria, stands on the Gulf of Oran, 261 miles by rail W. by S. of Algiers and 130 by sea S. of Cartagena in Spain. It climbs up the foot of a hill, is defended by detached forts, has a thoroughly French appearance, having been mainly built since 1790, when the older Spanish town was destroyed by an earthquake, and possesses a Roman Catholic cathedral (1839), a grand mosque, a large military hospital, a college, a seminary, and two citadels or castles. The harbour is protected on the north and east by moles constructed in 1887 at a cost of £280,000; alfa, iron ore, and cereals are the chief of the exports. Pop. (1891) 74,510. Oran was built by the Moors. During the second half of the 15th century it was a highly-prosperous commercial town, and was celebrated for its cloth and arms and fine public buildings. But it was taken by the Spaniards in 1509 and made a penal settlement. It was captured by the Turks in 1708, but retaken by the Spaniards in 1732. In 1790 it was destroyed by an earthquake, and shortly after was altogether abandoned by the Spaniards, the Turks occupying it again in 1792. The French took possession of the town in 1831.—The province of Oran has an area of 33,236 sq. m., and a pop. (1886) of 756,585, of whom 74,810 were French, 91,494 Spaniards, and 15,771 Jews; (1891) 942,066.