ARRIVAL BY SEA. The steamers of the _Compagnie Générale
Transatlantique_ (RR. 19, 18) are berthed at the Quai Bougainville
(Pl. C, 1), those of the _Transport Maritimes_ (R. 19) at the Quai de
la Gare (Pl. C, D, 2), those of the _Navigation Mixte_ (RR. 19, 18) at
the Quai Lamoune (Pl. B, 1). Baggage is conveyed to the custom-house
(Douane; Pl. B, 2), and thence to the cabs or hotel-omnibuses. The
porters (portefaix), mostly natives, are notorious for their
extortionate demands. Charges should be agreed upon beforehand.
=Railway Stations.= =1.= _Gare Centrale_ or _du P. L. M. et de l’Ouest
Algérien_ (Pl. E, 4; p. 173), Boul. Marceau (p. 181), for Perrégaux
and Algiers (R. 33), Tlemcen (R. 29), and Aïn-Témouchent (p.
185).—=2.= _Gare d’Arzew_ (Pl. F, 5), 1 M. from the hotels, for the
line viâ Damesme (Arzew) and Perrégaux to Beni-Ounif de Figuig (R.
32).—The _Gare de la Marine_ (Pl. C, 2) is the terminus of the harbour
goods-line.—TOWN OFFICE of the P. L. M. and Ouest Algérien railways,
Boul. du Lycée 5.
=Hotels.= *HÔT. CONTINENTAL (Pl. a; D, 3), Boul. Séguin 1, corner of
Place des Armes, fine open site, with restaurant, R. 4–6, B. 1½, déj.
4, D. 5, pens. 11–15, omn. 1 fr.—HÔT. VICTOR (Pl. b; D, 3), Rue
d’Arzew 5 and Rue de la Bastille 8, R. 2½–5, B. ½¾, D. 3, pens. 7½–8½,
omn. ½–1 fr., plain but good; HÔT. DU THÉÂTRE, Rue Bosquet, next the
theatre (Pl. C, 3), new; HÔT. D’EUROPE (Pl. d; D, 3), Boul.
Charlemagne 16, HÔT. DU PROGRÈS (Pl. f; D, 3), Rue de Belleville 14,
both with restaurants, very unpretending.—=Hôtels Garnis.= *ROYAL (Pl.
g; D, 3), Boul. du Lycée 3, with restaurant, R. 3–8, omn. 1 fr.;
CENTRAL (Pl. h; D, 3), Rue de Belleville 13, R. 2½–4 fr.
=Cafés.= _Continental_ (at the hotel), _Riche_, and _de la Mosquée_,
all in Boul. Séguin (Nos. 1, 22, 19); _du Théâtre_, Place d’Armes 11;
_Nouvel Aquarium_ (p. 182), Promenade de Létang; _Glacier_, Place
Kléber 3.
=Restaurants= at the hotels; also _Nouvel Aquarium_ (p. 182);
_Brasserie Guill. Tell_, in the Hôt. Royal, Boul. du Lycée 3, good;
_Brasserie de l’Etoile_, Rue de Belleville 11; _Brasserie Alsacienne_,
Boul. Séguin 18.
=Cabs= (_voitures de place_): │ By day│At night
│ │
Drive within the town-walls │ 1.—│ 1.50
„ to the suburbs (banlieue) │ 1.50│ 2.—
_Course double_ (there and back, with stay of ¼ hr.)│ 1.50│ 2.—
Same to the suburbs │ 2.—│ 2.50
Per hour, in the town │ 2.—│ 3.—
„ „ within 8 kilomètres (5 M.) around │ 2.50│ 3.50
Excursion of a whole day (50 kilom. or 31 M.) │ 16.—│ —
To Mers el-Kébir and back │ 4.—│ —
Same drive, with stay of ½ hr. │ 5.—│ —
Night is reckoned from 11 to 6 (in summer to 5). Fares raised on
Easter Monday and on race-days (see tariff). Luggage under 15 kilos
(ca. 33 lbs.) free; trunk 25 c., over 40 kilos (ca. 88 lbs.) 50 c.
=Motor Cars= and =Bicycles=. _Serviès_, Boul. Magenta 28;
_L’Universelle_ (Schmitt & Co.), Rue d’Arzew 60; _Palace Auto_, Rue
d’Alsace-Lorraine.
=Tramways= (from 6, in winter 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; 1st cl. 15, 2nd cl. 10
c.; transfer 20 or 15 c.). =1.= From _Quai de la Douane_ (Pl. B, 1) to
Rue d’Orléans, Place Kléber (Pl. C, 3), Boul. Malakoff, Rue des
Jardins, and _Place d’Armes_ (Pl. C, D, 3).—=2.= From _Quai Ste.
Thérèse_ (Pl. D, 1, 2) to Rue Charles-Quint, Place Kléber, Rue de
Turin, Rue Philippe, and _Place d’Armes_.—From PLACE D’ARMES: =3.= to
Boul. Séguin, Rue d’Arzew (Pl. D-F, 3), and _Gambetta_ (Pl. H, 2);
=4.= to Boul. Séguin, Rue de Mostaganem (Pl. D-G, 4), and _St. Eugène_
(Pl. H, 4); =5.= to Boul. National, Boul. Magenta (Pl. D, 4), _Boul.
Marceau_ (Pl. E, F, 4, 5); =6.= to Boul. National, Boul. Sébastopol
(Pl. C, D, 4), Rue Dutertre (Pl. D, 5), and _Cimetière Tamazhouet_
(Pl. E, F, 5); =7.= to Boul. National, Porte de Tlemcen (Pl. C, 5),
and _Eckmühl_ (Pl. B, 5).
=Steam Tramway= to _Hammam Bou-Hadjar_, see p. 184.
=Omnibuses.= Motor-omnibus from the Place Kléber (Pl. C, 3) every ½
hr. to _Mers el-Kébir_ (p. 183); ordinary omnibus twice daily to
_Aïn-et-Turk_, _Bou-Sfer_ (p. 184), and _El-Ançor_ (p. 185); etc.
=Post & Telegraph Office= (Pl. 9; D, 3), Rue d’Alsace-Lorraine 7;
branches in the Dock No. 4, Quai du Sénégal, at No. 17 Boul. Malakoff,
etc.
=Steamboat Offices.= _Générale Transatlantique_, Boul. Malakoff 28;
_Transports Maritimes_, Place de la République 9; _Navigation Mixte_
(_Touache Co._), Rue Séguin 1.
=Boats.= For a row in the harbour (as far as the lighthouse), 1 pers.
50, 2–3 pers. 25 c. each, 4 pers. 20 c. each (there and back with stay
of ¼ hr., 70, 35, or 30 c.); one hour for 1 or more pers. 1½, each
addit. hour 1 fr.—SAILING BOAT to Kristel (p. 184) about 6–8 fr.
(according to bargain; should be ordered at the harbour in good time).
=Baths.= _Beth_, Boul. Séguin 1 (seaside of Hôt. Continental) and Rue
d’Arzew 48; _Dussap_, Boul. Oudinot 22.—MOORISH (p. 175): _Bains
Maures_, Rue de la Mosquée 5, etc.—SEA BATHS. _Bains de la Plage Ste.
Thérèse_; _Bains Flottants_, Grande Jetée (Pl. D, 1), opposite the
Quai Ste. Thérèse (ferry); _Bains de la Reine_ (p. 183); also at
_Roseville_ (p. 183), _St. André de Mers el-Kébir_ (p. 183), and
_Aïn-et-Turk_ (p. 184).
=Banks= (comp. p. 174). _Banque de l’Algérie_ (Pl. 1; D, 3), Boul.
Séguin; _Comp. Algérienne_, Rue d’Alsace-Lorraine; _Crédit Lyonnais_,
Boul. Séguin 3; _Crédit Agricole et Commercial Algérien_ (J. Thibaud),
same street, No. 7.
=Booksellers.= _Heintz_, Boul. Séguin 4; _Perrier_, Rue de l’Hôtel de
Ville 10; _Fouque_, Boul. Séguin 26.—=Newspapers= (5 c.). _L’Echo
d’Oran_, _Le Libéral_, _El Correo Español_.
=Shops.= _Maison Universelle_, Boul. Séguin 27; _Gradvohl_, same
boulevard, No. 20bis (Oriental goods).—PHOTOGRAPHIC REQUISITES.
_Luck_, Rue de Belleville 9; _Schnell_, Boul. Séguin 14.—PICTURE POST
CARDS. _Caspari_, Rue d’Arzew 24; _Craveya_, same street, No. 20.
=Tourist Offices.= _Lubin_, Galerie Perez, Boul. Séguin; _Syndicat
d’Initiative_, Hôt. de Ville (p. 180); _R. Heckmann_, Place de la
République 7.
=Consuls.= British Vice-Consul, _Thos. A. Barber_, Quai Ste. Marie 4
(Pl. B, 2).—U. S. Consular Agent, _A. H. Elford_, Rue Charles Quint
14.
=French Prot. Church= (_Temple_; Pl. 13, C, 3), Rue de la Révolution;
service on Sun. at 9.30 a.m.
=Theatres.= _Grand Théâtre Municipal_ (Pl. C, 3), Place d’Armes;
_Théâtre-Casino_ (Pl. 14; C, 2), Rue Philippe; _Cirque-Théâtre des
Nouveautés_ (Pl. C, 4), Boul. National; _Alhambra_ (Pl. D, E, 3), Rue
d’Arzew 38bis.
=Music= (in winter, 4–5 p.m.). Sun., Promenade de Létang (p. 181),
near the Restaur. Aquarium; Tues., at the Cercle Militaire (p. 180);
Thurs. (fortnightly in both), Place de la République and Square du
Palais de Justice; Sat., at the Hôpital Militaire (Pl. C, 2).—CONCERTS
in the _Salle Musicale_ (Pl. D, 3), Rue de Paixhans.
TWO DAYS. 1st. In the forenoon, _Place d’Armes_ (p. 180), _Grande
Mosquée_ (p. 180), _Promenade de Létang_ (p. 181), _Old Town_ (p.
179); afternoon, _Belvédère_ (p. 182) or _Plateau du Marabout_ (p.
183).—2nd. Forenoon, _Mers el-Kébir_ (p. 183); afternoon, _Promenade
des Falaises_ (p. 184).—As to visiting the mosques, see p. 174.
_Oran_, Arabic _Warân_, the capital of the province of that name, with
110,000 inhab. (29,700 being foreigners, mostly Spaniards, 16,000
Mohammedans, and 13,200 Jews), is a strongly fortified place, the
headquarters of an army corps and a torpedo-boat station, and has been
an episcopal see since 1867. Next to Algiers it is now the greatest
seaport and commercial place in Barbary. The town lies in 35° 44′ N.
lat. and 0° 58′ W. long., on a bay of the spacious _Gulf of Oran_ (p.
126), between _Jebel Santon_ (1043 ft.; p. 183) on the W. and the
_Pointe Canastel_ (784 ft.; p. 184) on the E. side. At the W. end the
quiet streets of the old town, overlooked by the bare limestone rocks of
the _Pic d’Aidour_ or _Montagne de Santa Cruz_ (1221 ft.), ascend the
ravine of the small brook _Raz el-Aïn_ or _Oued Rehhi_ to the hill of
the _Kasba_, the ancient Moorish castle. The modern industrial quarters
lie to the E. of the hill of _Château-Neuf_ and beyond the ravine of the
_Aïn Rouina_, extending far over the plateau of _Karguentah_ (about
250–390 ft.), a tableland which descends abruptly to the sea and slopes
gradually to the S. E. down to the plain of the _Daya Morselli_ and the
_Plaine du Figuier_ (p. 185). The town is defended by several old forts
of the Spanish period and by a number of modern coast-batteries, and,
like most of the Algerian towns, is enclosed by a wall for protection
against the natives. The chief suburbs outside the gates are _Gambetta_,
_St. Eugène_, _Lamur_, and _Eckmühl-Noiseux_.
Oran is essentially a modern town, which is being extended and
embellished with feverish zeal, but notwithstanding its French veneer it
derives a certain individuality from the preponderating Spanish element
in its population. The Mohammedan element is diminishing here even more
rapidly than in Algiers. Owing to the scantiness of the rainfall the
environs and their vegetation are quite African in character, and the
neighbouring shotts, or salt-lakes, resemble those of the Hauts-Plateaux
(p. 169).
The Gulf of Oran, where the _Portus Divinus_ (Mers el-Kébir, p. 183)
was the only Roman settlement, was unimportant in ancient times.
Native tradition ascribes the foundation of the town of Oran to
Moorish merchants of Andalusia in 902, but it was not till the late
middle ages that the town began to thrive. After the rise of the
kingdom of Tlemcen (p. 188) Oran superseded the neighbouring ports of
Rachgoun (p. 185), Honeïn (p. 125), and Arzew (p. 199) as the chief
staple of the W. Algerian coast, its trade being chiefly carried on by
Italians.
Jealous of the successes of Portugal in Morocco (p. 96), and eager,
after the capture of Granada (p. 75), to carry their crusade against
Islam into African territory, the Spaniards sent an expedition against
Melilla (p. 124) in 1496, while the all-powerful _Card. Ximenez_,
archbishop of Toledo, proceeded to attack the Ziyanides (p. 188). In
1505 Mers el-Kébir, which had been twice occupied by the Portuguese in
the 15th cent., was attacked and after a brave defence captured, and
in 1509, on a second expedition, Oran fell into the hands of the
cardinal. Thenceforth Oran formed the base of the further campaigns of
the Spaniards, who in their victorious career soon captured all the
important towns on the seaboard as far as Tripoli, and penetrated
inland to Tlemcen. The Spanish governors succeeded in defending Oran
against all the attacks of the barbarescos down to 1708, when the Bey
_Bu-Chlar’em_ bombarded the Spanish forts from Jebel Murjajo, captured
them, and slew the entire garrison. A Spanish army under the _Count of
Montemar_ gained a brilliant victory over the Moors at Aïn et-Turk (p.
184) and recaptured the town in 1732, but the Spaniards soon found
themselves again overmatched by their enemies. In 1790 the town was
almost entirely destroyed by an earthquake, and in 1792 the Spaniards
at length withdrew their garrison.
Under the bey _Mohammed el-Kebîr_ the town was erected into the
capital of the province of W. Algeria; but in consequence of the
earthquake, the interminable wars, and its entire separation from the
inland regions during the centuries of the Spanish occupation, Oran
had declined so lamentably that when it was occupied by French troops
in 1831 it scarcely numbered 4000 inhabitants. Its rapid recovery
since that period has been due to its favourable situation, its
proximity to the Spanish coast and to the rich inland district of
Tlemcen, and particularly to the extension of the Algerian railway
system as far as the Sahara and to the promotion of trade with Morocco
by the opening of free marts at Lalla-Marnia (p. 197), Aïn-Sefra (p.
202), and Beni-Ounif de Figuig (p. 203).
a. The Harbour and the Old Town.
The =Harbour= (Pl. B-D, 1, 2), 72 acres in area, is bounded on the E.
side by the _Quai Ste. Thérèse_, 330 yds. long, and is sheltered on the
N. by the _Grande Jetée_ or _Jetée du Large_, a pier 1200 yds. in
length, with a lighthouse at the end (Phare; Pl. D, 1). The shallow
_Vieux Port_ (Pl. B, C, 1, 2), now the S.W. bay of the new harbour
bounded on the N. by the Quai Bougainville, was the harbour of the
Moorish and Spanish periods. The rapid increase of the shipping trade
(now exceeding 4 million tons annually) is being met by the construction
of an outer harbour (Pl. D-G, 1, 2). The chief imports are sugar,
coffee, rice, English coal, timber, petroleum, candles, and paper; the
chief exports wine, grain, flour, fruit, early vegetables, alfa, ‘crin
végétal’ (dwarf-palm fibre), tobacco, cattle, hides, wool, marble, and
onyx.
From the _Douane_ (Pl. B, 2) the RUE D’ORLÉANS (Pl. B, C, 2; tramway No.
1, see p. 176) ascends in a curve, skirting the _Quartier de la Marine_
and the _Quartier de la Calère_, the Spanish quarters, to the upper part
of the town. Halfway up, to the right, on the parapet of the small Place
d’Orléans (Pl. B, 2) are seen the _Spanish Armorial Bearings_ (1789).
Beyond the _Palais Consulaire_ (Pl. 8, C 2; Chamber of Commerce and
Commercial Court) the street reaches the two chief squares of the old
French part of the town, the PLACE DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE, with the _Fontaine
Aucour_ (Pl. C, 2; concerts, see p. 177), and the PLACE KLÉBER (Pl. C,
3). Adjoining the latter is the BOULEVARD MALAKOFF (Pl. C, 3),
constructed over the vaulted channel of the Raz el-Aïn (p. 177), with a
fine avenue of planes.
On the S.W. side of the Place Kléber, between Boul. Malakoff and Boul.
Oudinot, rises the _Préfecture_ (Pl. C, 3), the seat of the provincial
government.
The Boul. Oudinot leads to the _Magasin du Campement_ (Pl. C, 3;
military stores; adm. by leave of the military authorities), in the
garden of which we perceive the minaret of a _Mosque_ (about 1800)
dedicated to _Sidi el-Hawâri_, the chief saint of Oran.
The Rue Larrey leads past the E. side of the military stores to a
terrace above the harbour-quarter, on which rises the—
_Church of St. Louis_ (Pl. 12; C, 2), an unimportant edifice of 1839,
whose choir-niche is a relic of the Spanish church of the time of the
Count of Montemar (p. 178). The _Wall_ of the Rue de Berlin (Pl. C, B,
2), which leads hence to the Porte du Santon (p. 182), is of Spanish
origin.
We return to the Boul. Oudinot and glance at the _Quartier de la Kasba_,
the oldest quarter of Oran, lying on the hill-side below the =Kasba=
(Pl. B, C, 3; adm. on application at the guard-house), the old citadel.
The old Moorish castle on this site was succeeded in the 16th cent. by
the Spanish _Castillo Viejo_, the nucleus of the Spanish fortifications,
and now occupied by French barracks. Above the _Porte d’Espagne_, a
side-entrance at the end of the narrow Rue du Vieux-Château (Pl. C, 3),
are still seen the arms of Spain.
The Rue de Madrid (Pl. C, 3, 2), a side-street of the Rue Larrey (see
above), and the steps in the Rue d’Orléans near the S.W. angle of the
Place de la République lead to the small public—
=Musée Demaeght= (Pl. 7; C, 2), Rue Montebello 9, founded in 1886 and
named after its founder. Admittance, except on great festivals, daily
1–5, free. Catalogues of the antiquities and the ancient coins, 1¾ fr.
each. Curator, Prof. A. Mouliéras.
In the vestibule are Roman mosaics from a dwelling-house at Portus
Magnus (Saint-Leu, p. 199), freely restored in parts; Roman stelæ,
milestones, inscriptions, etc. from the province of Oran.
FIRST FLOOR. On the left, in Room C, natural history collections,
including specimens of marble and onyx from the province of Oran.—On
the right, in Room D, prehistoric relics from Barbary and
ethnographical collections.
SECOND FLOOR. On the left, in Room E, casts from the antique; Moorish
ornaments from Toledo and Granada; and a graphic collection.—On the
right, in Room F, modern paintings.
THIRD FLOOR. On the left, in Room G, natural history collections.—On
the right, in Room H, a fine collection of coins, Numidian,
Mauretanian, Roman, Byzantine, Moorish, old Spanish, etc.; in the
wall-cases small relics from Portus Magnus.
b. The New Town.
The loftily situated NEW TOWN is reached from the Place Kléber (Pl. C,
3; p. 179) by several steep lanes in steps (Rue de Gênes, etc.), but
more easily by the Boulevard Malakoff (p. 179) and the Rue des Jardins
(Pl. C, 3; tramway No. 1, see p. 176), or by the Rue de Turin (Pl. C, 3,
2) and Rue Philippe (tramway No. 2).
The Rue de Turin leads in a bend past the _Marché Bastrana_ (Pl. 5; C,
3) and the _Promenade de Létang_ (p. 181).
The Rue Philippe, which ascends direct, passes on the right the elegant
=Demeure de Hassan= (Pl. 2; C, 3), which, apart from the fortifications,
is the sole relic of old Oran. According to the inscription, it was
built in 1700 and restored in 1900, and is named after one of its later
owners, a tobacco-merchant who became Bey of Oran in 1812.
The adjacent =Grande Mosquée=, or _Mosquée du Pacha_ (Pl. 4, C, 3;
Arabic _Jâma el-Pasha_), erected by order of the Dey of Algiers after
the withdrawal of the Spaniards in 1792, is now the only mosque in the
town used for divine service.
The front building, erected in the form of a kubba, or saint’s shrine,
at the sharp bend of the Rue Philippe, dates only from the French
period (1864). The pretty Sahn, or court of the mosque, enclosed by a
pinnacled wall, is planted with palms and bananas.
In the mosque itself, whose vaulting rests alternately on short
pillars and clustered columns, is the Sedda or stage, under the great
central dome, where at the Friday service the Mosammi, or leader of
prayer, repeats the words of the priest (Imâm) for the benefit of
worshippers at a distance. On the right, by the plain mihrâb or
prayer-niche, is the mimbar, the pulpit for the Friday sermon.
At the back of the mosque, in the Rue de la Mosquée, rises the octagonal
_Minaret_ (Sauma), the tower from which the muezzin summons the faithful
to prayer five times daily.
The pretty =Place d’Armes= (Pl. C, D, 3; 233 ft.), where the Rue des
Jardins and the Rue Philippe end, is the business centre of the town and
the chief tramway station (p. 176). A _Monument_ here recalls the battle
near the Kubba Sidi-Brahim (p. 198).
On the S. side of the square rises the HÔTEL DE VILLE, or _Mairie_ (Pl.
C, 3), a building in the French Renaissance style, approached by a high
flight of steps. On the W. side is the _Grand Théâtre Municipal_ (p.
177), opened in 1908. The grounds of the _Cercle Militaire_ (Pl. C, D,
3; concerts, see p. 177), on the N. side of the square, extend to the S.
bastions of the Château-Neuf (p. 182).
On the margin of the plateau, to the S.W. of the Place d’Armes and W. of
the Rue de la Révolution, lies the poor _Jewish Quarter_, with its dirty
streets, of which the chief is the Rue d’Austerlitz (Pl. C, 3, 4). Here
an interesting fruit and vegetable market takes place daily (Sat.
excepted). The best time for a glance at the Jewish quarter is a
Saturday morning, between 8.30 and 9, when the women in all their finery
go to the synagogues (in the Rue de Ratisbonne, etc.).
At the N.E. angle of the Place d’Armes begins the BOULEVARD SÉGUIN (Pl.
D, 3, 4), now the main street, with the chief banks, shops, and cafés, a
favourite evening resort.—In a side-street, the Boul. du
Deuxième-Zouaves, rises the new _Cathedral_ (Pl. D, 3, 4), begun in 1905
and now nearly completed. To the S. of it is the _Palais de Justice_
(Pl. D, 4) in the pleasant square named after it (music, see p.
177).—From the S. end of the Boul. Séguin the Rue de Mostaganem and
Boul. Marceau (Pl. D-F, 4, 5) lead to the new _Gare Centrale_ (Pl. E, 4;
p. 175), in the modern Moorish style (1907–9).
The S. quarter of the town, between the _Barracks_ (Pl. C, D, 4, 5),
built in the charming neo-Moorish style, and the town-walls, is the
so-called =Village-Nègre= (Pl. C, D, 5), a growth of the French period.
It consists chiefly of small one-storied houses, occupied by the
natives, the working classes, and the poorer Mohammedans, with the
_Marché Arabe_ as its nucleus. A visit may be paid to it in the morning,
or better on a Friday or Sunday afternoon. In an open site on the E.
side of this quarter, near the Rue Dutertre (tramway No. 6, see p. 176),
is the picturesque _Marabout Sidi el-Bachir_ (Pl. D, 5; p. 172).
Near this is the Porte du Cimetière, leading to the _Jewish Burial
Ground_ (Pl. D, 5), to the Christian _Cimetière Tamazhouet_ (Pl. E, F,
5), and to the suburb of _Lamur_ occupied by natives.
The E. part of the new town is intersected by the Rue d’Arzew, passing
the new _Gallerie Audéoud_ with its row of shops, a little beyond which
the Boul. de Tivoli diverges to the N. (left). In an open site at the
end of this street rises the _Vieille Mosquée_ (Pl. F, 3), built at the
end of the 18th cent. (now being restored), with a minaret resembling
that of the El-Hawâri mosque (p. 179).
The chief boast of Oran is the *=Promenade de Létang= (Pl. C, D, 2), the
delightful grounds, shaded with palms, which flank the N. and W. sides
of the Château-Neuf. They are reached from the Place d’Armes, either to
the N.W. by the Rue Philippe, or to the N.E. by a road beginning between
the Cercle Militaire and the Hôtel Continental. (To the E. of this road
lies the _Lycée_, Pl. D, 3, a road to which crosses the ravine of the
_Aïn Rouina_.) The two N.E. platforms, above the Fort Ste. Thérèse (Pl.
D, 2), command a glorious view, especially towards evening, of the bold
coast as far as the Pointe Canastel (p. 184) and of the double-peaked
Jebel Kahar (p. 184). The terrace on the N.W. side, near the _Nouvel
Aquarium_ (music, see p. 177), affords a good view of the harbour, of
Jebel Murjajo with the Plateau du Marabout and Fort Santa Cruz (see
below), and of the bay of Mers el-Kébir (p. 183).
The CHÂTEAU-NEUF (Pl. C, D, 2; now military headquarters and barracks)
was the _Bordj el-Ahmar_ (red castle) of Moorish times, the chief fort
of the town next to the Kasba, the Rosalcázar of the Spanish period,
seat of the governor, and in 1792–1831 the residence of the Bey of the
province of Oran. Admittance on application at the guard-house. The
inconsiderable buildings date partly from the Spanish occupation; on the
outer walls and the entrance gateway are an Arabic and several Spanish
inscriptions.
c. Environs.
(1). The old =Fort Santa Cruz= (Pl. A, 2; 1221 ft.; now an observatory),
on the _Pic d’Aidour_, the E. spur of the Jebel Murjajo, is reached by
the Rue de Berlin (p. 179) and the _Porte de Santa Cruz_ or _du Santon_
(1¼ hr.). A very rough, shadeless path ascends to it, beginning on a
stony slope to the right above the drilling-ground, crossing the road to
Fort St. Grégoire, and passing the chapel of the _Vierge de Santa Cruz_
(Pl. A, 1; 1024 ft.; view). It may be reached also by a bridle-path
through the _Ravin des Planteurs_ (Pl. A, B, 2, 3), the gorge at the
beginning of the Bois des Planteurs. The fort was built in 1700, nearly
destroyed by the barbarescos in 1708 and 1792, and restored in 1856. It
has always been connected with the Château-Neuf (see above) by an
underground passage, 3 M. long. The platform commands a fine view of
Oran and the bay of Mers el-Kébir (custodian 30–50 c.).
The BELVÉDÈRE is a more interesting point. We follow the road from the
Porte du Santon (see above), passing the drilling-ground, and crossing
the (8 min.) _Ravin des Planteurs_. Now called the Chemin des Planteurs
(Pl. B, A, 3), the road ascends in windings through the _Bois des
Planteurs_, a pleasant pine-grove on the S. slope of _Jebel Murjajo_,
where jackals are sometimes seen. To the right, halfway up, a path
(finger-post) diverges to the (10 min.) *=Belvédère= (Pl. A, 3; rfmts.),
a kind of temple where we enjoy a superb view of Oran. We may now either
go on to the Plateau du Marabout, or else return to the town by the very
attractive S. branch of the Chemin des Planteurs (Pl. A, B, 4), which
descends to the valley of _Raz el-Aïn_ (p. 177) and leads along its left
bank to the Porte du Ravin (Pl. B, C, 3).
The road to the =Plateau du Marabout= (about 1360 ft.; carr. in about 1¾
hr., 6–8 fr., according to bargain) ascends through the _Bois des
Planteurs_ (p. 182). From the end of the road a walk of 10 min. to the
N.E. along the crest of the hill, through meagre brushwood, and offering
a glimpse of the bay of Mers el-Kébir to the left, brings us to the
_Marabout Sidi Abd el-Kâder el-Djilâni_, the chapel of a Persian saint
much revered throughout Barbary as the founder of the Kadria brotherhood
(p. 361). From this point, especially towards evening, we obtain a
splendid *View of Oran, of Jebel Kahar and Jebel Orouze (p. 184) to the
N.E., of the salt-lake and the bay of Arzew (p. 199). To the S. we see
part of the Sebkha d’Oran (p. 185), backed by Jebel Tessala (p. 186).
From the plateau we may either descend, a few minutes’ walk beyond the
Marabout, to the left to Ste. Clotilde (see below), or we may go
straight on, across the saddle between the Jebel Murjajo and the Pic
d’Aidour, to the (40 min.) _Chapelle de la Vierge_ and the _Fort Santa
Cruz_ (p. 182).
(2). The excursion to MERS EL-KÉBIR (motor-omnibus and carr., see p.
176; tramway to Aïn-et-Turk projected) is specially attractive in the
morning. We leave Oran near the Douane (Pl. B, 2) and above _Fort
Lamoune_ (Pl. B, 1) skirt the bold E. slope of the _Pic d’Aidour_ (p.
182). On the wooded N. slope of the hill we reach (2 M.) the _Bains de
la Reine_, which have been in use since the time of the Ziyanides (p.
188), but owe their name to a visit paid them by Juana the Insane (p.
76). The plain bath-hotel lies on the road above; the saline spring
(130° Fahr.) and the bath-house lie behind the rocks lower down. The
baths are frequented, chiefly in spring, both by Europeans and natives.
The road next passes below (2½ M. from Oran) the villa-suburb of _Ste.
Clotilde_ (197 ft.; Hôt. Ste. Clotilde), with its charming gardens in
the shade of the hill (path to the _Plateau du Marabout_, see above).
Just beyond Ste. Clotilde, in the ravine of _Salto del Cavallo_, is the
spot where Tâkhfîn ben-Ali (p. 188) is said to have been slain when
attempting to escape.
3¾ M. _Roseville_ (99 ft.; not visible from the road) has a good
bathing-beach. 4½ M. _St. André de Mers el-Kébir_ (55 ft.; Hôt.
National, on the shore), a poor village, inhabited almost entirely by
Spaniards and Italians, lies at the S. base of the fortified _Jebel
Santon_ (1043 ft.), the N. spur of Jebel Murjajo.
The open roads of =Mers el-Kébir= (Arabic _Mersa el-Kebîr_, the great
harbour), famed in Spanish military annals as _Mazalquivir_, now the
naval harbour of Oran, are admirably sheltered from the W. and N. winds
by Jebel Santon and by a rocky headland (lighthouse). Beyond the (5 M.)
little fishing-village (Hôt. de l’Escadre, humble) rises a huge _Fort_,
the outer walls of which date partly from the Spanish period.
TO AÏN-ET-TURK AND BOU-SFER (a day’s excursion from Oran; omn. and
carr., see p. 176; provisions should be taken), an interesting drive,
especially in spring, affording a good idea of the progress of
agriculture in this coast-region. Beyond the headland of Mers el-Kébir
the road is carried round the _Jebel Santon_, high above the sea, by
means of cuttings, and then descends to the fertile _Plaine des
Andalouses_, which is now inhabited chiefly by S. Spanish peasants.
Its name recalls the landing here of the Moors expelled from
Andalusia.
9½ M. (from Oran) _Aïn-et-Turk_ (65 ft.; ‘Turkish well’), a little
village, to which sea-bathers resort in summer, with a church on the
hill (177 ft.), 2½ M. to the S.E. of _Cape Falcon_ (p. 125), from
which it is separated by a chain of sand-hills rising to a height of
397 ft.
The road, now perfectly straight, ascends to the S.W., through
vineyards and corn-fields, to (13 M.) the large village of _Bou-Sfer_
(486 ft.), on the well-watered N. slope of _Jebel Murjajo_, with its
thriving farms where vegetables are largely grown. To Bou-Tlélis, see
p. 185.
From Bou-Sfer a road, with fine views, leads along the hill-side, and
then across the saddle (768 ft.) between Jebel Murjajo and Jebel
Santon, back to (22 M.) _St. André de Mers el-Kébir_.
(3). A splendid walk, especially by evening light, is offered by the
*=Promenade des Falaises= (Pl. G, H, 1), to the N.E. of Oran. Tramway
No. 3 (p. 176) should be taken to the station outside the Porte d’Arzew
(Pl. F, G, 3). Here we go to the left, skirting the town-walls, then to
the N.E. across the harbour goods-line (p. 175), through the _Ravin
Blanc_ at a distance from the battery of that name, and up the fields to
the (20 min.) highly picturesque margin of the plateau, whence we survey
the whole coast from Mers el-Kébir on the W. to the Pointe de l’Aiguille
and Jebel Orouze to the N.E. A little farther on we reach an avenue of
palms which leads in a curve to the (¼ hr.) tramway-terminus in the
suburb of _Gambetta_ (Pl. H, 2).
Good walkers, starting very early, may extend their excursion from the
Promenade des Falaises to the _Pointe Canastel_ (784 ft.), near which
ends the road coming from Gambetta (4 M.), and thence along the slope
of _Jebel Kahar_ or _Montagne des Lions_ (2008 ft.), in 4–4½ hrs., to
the Moorish village of =Kristel= (poor cafés), finely situated amid
rich orange groves. Or, in calm weather, we may take a sailing-boat
(see p. 176) from Oran to Kristel. We may now walk or ride (donkey
2½–3 fr.) up the steep hill to the saddle between Jebel Kahar and
_Jebel Kristel_ (1970 ft.); then past the _Ferme Tazout_ (1105 ft.; to
the left the iron and lead mines on _Jebel Borosse_, a spur of _Jebel
Orouze_; p. 199) to the S.E., partly through underwood, and down to
the (2½ hrs.) railway-station of _Saint-Cloud_ (p. 199). We may there
take the train viâ _Damesme_ to _Arzew_ (p. 199) and return to Oran in
the evening.
FROM ORAN TO HAMMAM BOU-HADJAR, 45 M., steam-tramway twice daily
(thrice on Sun., Mon., and Tues.) in 3¾–4¾ hrs. (fares 5 fr. 40, 3 fr.
95 c.). The line starts from the N. end of the Boul. Mascara (Pl. C,
4) and proceeds to the S.E. viâ (4 M.) _La Sénia_ (p. 185) to (7½ M.)
_Valmy_ (p. 185), some distance beyond which it turns to the S.W. and
runs parallel to the S. shore of the _Sebkha d’Oran_ (p. 185). 12 M.
Arbal, on the N. spurs of _Jebel Tessala_ (p. 186); 25 M. _St. Maur_;
39 M. _Aïn el-Arba_. 45 M. _Hammam Bou-Hadjar_ (574 ft.), near which
are the baths of that name (Hôt. des Bains, plain but good). The hot
mineral water (135–167° Fahr.), resembling that of Ems, rises among
the calc-sinter terraces of the _Fer à Cheval_. A cool spring (64°
Fahr.), strongly impregnated with iron, is used for drinking.
Excursion to _Misserghin_, see p. 185.