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Grand Hôtel Oran Grand Hôtel
Oran · 1920
Oran

Oran, city centre

The hotel occupies the corner of place du Maghreb, in the heart of Oran, opposite the main post office. The historic centre begins on the pavement outside: place du 1er Novembre is five minutes away, the seafront ten.

La façade depuis la place du Maghreb

Place du Maghreb

It was called place de la Bastille until independence. It is a planted square, closed to the north by the main post office, and one of the convergence points of the city centre: the shopping streets run down to it, and the transport lines pass through.

The album assembled by the Société de Géographie between 1910 and 1929, now at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, records how it then looked — the basin, the palms, the kiosks. The plates reproduced below are in the public domain.

On foot

  • The main post office Across the square. 1 min on foot
  • Place du 1er Novembre The former place d’Armes, the city hall and the theatre. 5 min on foot
  • Abdelkader Alloula Regional Theatre Opened in 1908, on place du 1er Novembre. 8 min on foot
  • The seafront The boulevard and the view over the harbour. 10 min on foot
  • The city hall On place du 1er Novembre. 10 min on foot

By car

  • Hassan Pacha Mosque Founded in the 18th century, in the old town. 1 km
  • Fort of Santa Cruz The fortress commanding the bay, on the Murdjajo. 15 min by car
  • Oran railway station The campanile building, served by the national lines. 10 min by car
  • Ahmed Ben Bella Airport Domestic and international flights. 10 km

Distances as given by the hotel, for guidance.

Locating the hotel

Grand Hôtel Oran
05 place du Maghreb
31000 Oran, Algeria

The map loads on request: the page stays light until you ask for it.

Oran between 1910 and 1929

Eight plates from the Société de Géographie album, held at the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Public domain.

Cover of the album “Oran” — Red board binding, title in Art Nouveau lettering.
Cover of the album “Oran” Red board binding, title in Art Nouveau lettering. Bibliothèque nationale de France, Société de Géographie collection, between 1910 and 1929 — public domain.
Place d’Armes — Today place du 1er Novembre, five minutes’ walk from the hotel. A tram crosses the frame.
Place d’Armes Today place du 1er Novembre, five minutes’ walk from the hotel. A tram crosses the frame. Bibliothèque nationale de France, Société de Géographie collection, between 1910 and 1929 — public domain.
The theatre — The regional theatre, opened in 1908, on place du 1er Novembre.
The theatre The regional theatre, opened in 1908, on place du 1er Novembre. Bibliothèque nationale de France, Société de Géographie collection, between 1910 and 1929 — public domain.
The city hall — On place du 1er Novembre.
The city hall On place du 1er Novembre. Bibliothèque nationale de France, Société de Géographie collection, between 1910 and 1929 — public domain.
General view taken from Santa Cruz — The bay and the harbour, from the fortress on the Murdjajo.
General view taken from Santa Cruz The bay and the harbour, from the fortress on the Murdjajo. Bibliothèque nationale de France, Société de Géographie collection, between 1910 and 1929 — public domain.
The Pacha Mosque — The Hassan Pacha Mosque, in the old town.
The Pacha Mosque The Hassan Pacha Mosque, in the old town. Bibliothèque nationale de France, Société de Géographie collection, between 1910 and 1929 — public domain.
The railway station — The campanile building, south of the centre.
The railway station The campanile building, south of the centre. Bibliothèque nationale de France, Société de Géographie collection, between 1910 and 1929 — public domain.
Boulevard Séguin — One of the arteries of the centre, with the Hôtel Continental.
Boulevard Séguin One of the arteries of the centre, with the Hôtel Continental. Bibliothèque nationale de France, Société de Géographie collection, between 1910 and 1929 — public domain.