Oran is the second largest city in Algeria, set on a bay opening onto the Mediterranean at the foot of Mount Murdjadjo in the west of the country, with about 1.5 million people in its metropolitan area. The city spent two centuries under Spanish rule, was taken by the Ottomans in 1708, passed back to Spain in 1732 and was under Ottoman administration again from 1792 until the French arrived in 1831. This is why Spanish forts, Ottoman mosques and French boulevards fit into the same walk in Oran. Albert Camus set his novel The Plague here, and raï music took shape around the city in the 1930s. The Front de Mer boulevard, the old streets of Sidi El Houari and the Place du 1er Novembre are the urban side of a visit; the Les Andalouses coast to the west is the sea side.
Looking for cheap flights or monthly payment flight packages to Oran?
Suso is a travel-planning platform that turns your Oran trip from Turkey into a buy now, pay later flight package: the ticket is issued by travel agencies, booking sites or airlines, and the payment plan runs on consumer credit from partner finance institutions. One click in the basket completes the purchase and the financing together; you pay over 3 to 24 months. No credit card limit needed.
See flights to Oran →When to visit Oran
April to June and September to October are the easiest periods: days of 22C to 28C, the sea still warm in September and the climb to Santa Cruz comfortable in the cooler hours. July and August are hot, with August daytime averages reaching 32C, and the Les Andalouses coast fills with Algerian holidaymakers. Annual rainfall is low and most of it falls between November and May; winter is mild, with days around 17C in January, and suits a city break.
Things to do in Oran
Santa Cruz Fort and Chapel
Standing about 400 metres above the sea on the Aïdour peak of Mount Murdjadjo, the fort was built by the Spanish at the end of the 16th century to guard the bay and the port of Mers el-Kébir. The Santa Cruz Chapel just below it was built in 1850 after the cholera epidemic of 1849, and the statue of the Virgin on top of it is visible from all over the city. From here the whole of Oran, the harbour and, in clear weather, the coastline to the west can be seen. The way up is by taxi, and sunset is the busiest hour.
Pasha Mosque
The mosque in the Sidi El Houari district was built in 1796 on the orders of Bey Mohammed el-Kebir to mark the departure of the Spanish from the city, and was dedicated to Baba Hassan, the Pasha of Algiers. Its minaret and courtyard are the clearest trace of the Ottoman period in Oran. The building was closed to worship in 2004 because of structural problems and its restoration was taken on by the Turkish company Tosyalı Holding, so its status is worth checking before a visit. The old quarter around it fits into the same walk as the Imam el-Houari Mosque, named after the city's patron saint.
Sacred Heart Cathedral (Oran Library)
Built between 1903 and 1913 to a design by the architect Albert Ballu, the cathedral was constructed in reinforced concrete by the Perret brothers' firm, making it the first church built with this technique in France's overseas territories. Its twin towered facade with neo-Byzantine and neo-Romanesque touches stands out from a distance in the centre of the city. The building became a regional library in 1984 and a public library in 1996, and the reading rooms inside are open during working hours. The facade is best photographed from the square opposite.
Oran Regional Theatre (Abdelkader Alloula)
Standing next to the town hall on the Place du 1er Novembre, formerly the Place d'Armes, the building was built as the city's opera house and opened its doors in 1907. Its ornate facade is the emblem of the square; it was nationalised after independence and today bears the name of the Algerian playwright Abdelkader Alloula. The square is the French era centre of Oran and, with the lion statues in front of the town hall and the view of Murdjadjo behind, the starting point of an evening walk. The programme is posted on the theatre's website.
Ahmed Zabana National Museum
The museum, whose collection was started in 1885 by the Oran Society of Geography and Archaeology, now bears the name of Ahmed Zabana, one of the first militants of the Algerian war of independence to be executed. Its sections run from prehistory and Roman archaeology to Islamic arts, natural sciences and ethnography, and the fine arts rooms show paintings and sculptures from the 16th to the 20th centuries. The Roman mosaics and the Old Oran section tell the layers of the city in one place. Two hours are enough.
Les Andalouses beach
The wide sandy bay about 25 kilometres west of Oran, in the municipality of El Ançor, stretches between rocky headlands and is the best known beach of the city. A Phoenician necropolis has been found nearby. In summer it fills with resorts and families, and it is quieter in June and September. It is half an hour by car from Oran along the Mers el-Kébir coast road.
Flights from Turkey to Oran
Direct flights to Oran from Turkey leave Istanbul Airport; Turkish Airlines runs the route year round with five flights a week, Air Algérie also flies it, and the flight takes about 4 hours. Oran is two hours behind Turkey. Oran Ahmed Ben Bella (Es Sénia) Airport is about 10 kilometres south of the city; a taxi reaches the centre in 20 to 30 minutes, the fare is agreed before getting in and most hotels arrange a pick up. The Algerian visa must be obtained before the flight.
Oran FAQ
How many days do you need in Oran?
A day for Santa Cruz, Sidi El Houari and the Pasha Mosque and a day for the centre, the Front de Mer and the museum are enough, with half a day added for the Les Andalouses coast. Three nights is a comfortable plan. With the Zayyanid era mosques and palaces of Tlemcen, a week can be planned.
How far is the airport from the city centre?
Oran Ahmed Ben Bella (Es Sénia) Airport is about 10 kilometres south of the city centre. A taxi takes 20 to 30 minutes, longer in heavy traffic, and the fare is agreed in advance. Most hotels offer an airport pick up, which is the better choice for evening arrivals.
Do you need a visa for Algeria?
A Turkish passport needs an Algerian visa, obtained before the flight from Algeria's diplomatic missions in Turkey; there is no visa on arrival for ordinary tourists. The application asks for documents such as a hotel booking and a return ticket, and the current list is confirmed with the consulate. The passport must be valid for at least six months.
Buy now, pay later flights to Oran
Fly now, pay later. Plan your trip, pay over up to 24 months. One click at checkout sets up the plan, no credit card limit needed.
Search flights to Oran →