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The city of Orin, the second-largest city in the country, is located on the Mid-South Sea coast 350 kilometers southwest of the countrys capital, It is connected to the capital by road, rail and air. It is one of the largest ports in Northern Africa, and it has regular ferry services to Spain (Alicante) and France (Marcellus and Sete).
The name of the city in the ancient Berber language means “Two Lions. According to local stories, there were many local lions in ancient times, and the last two of them were killed on the mountain to the west of the city. Since then, this mountain has been called “Gora Lvov” and the city was named Orhan. Two large statues of lions have been placed in front of the city administration, and their image is the citys symbol, and they are also depicted on its coat-of-arms.
The city, founded by the Moor traders, has been known since the 10th century, and was subsequently owned by the Spanish, the Turks and the French. Since 1962, after the Declaration of Independence, Algeria has been a city of Algeria. There are a number of surviving buildings from the former owners that testify to the old times. There are not many of these buildings, which is due to the great earthquake of 1790 that devastated the city fundamentally. It retains 16th-century Spanish structures, the post-French building of St. Louis College, a three-and-a-half-year old Turkish Pacha Chapel, and several quarters of typical Arabian-style construction.
Today, Oran is a major industrial city with a large number of heavy and light industries. The most developed industries are building materials, textiles, flour, and makka. The artisanal production of footwear, garments and leather goods was also developed. At the same time, the city is an important cultural center of the country, with several theaters and museums, as well as the second largest and most important university in the country.
The hills and surroundings of the Oran are beautiful and steeped in the verdure of vineyards and orchards. In one of these towns (Sidi el-Khari), the musical style (rai, or ” opinion) was born in the thirties of the last century.
In 1936, the world-famous French fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent was born in Oran.
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- Tap water: No, not drinkable
- Religious government: Religious
- Population: 800,000 people
- GDP: $3,917 / year
- Power outlets: 230V50Hz
- Internet: 3 Mbps
- Best wireless: Djezzy
- Tipping: Restaurants: You should tip 10% of the total to the waiter. Bars: Though you might not see many bars, you should tip also 10% of your total to the bar tender. Other: If you take a guide on any part of your trip you should tip him about 10-15% as well based on the experience.
- Apartment listings: AirBnb
- Apartments: Airbnb
- Hotels: Booking.com
- More hotels: Hotels.com
- Best taxi: Yassir
- Best short-haul air carrier: Air Algrie
- Best intl air carrier: Air Algrie
- Monthly costs for expat: $800
- Monthly costs for family: $900
- Monthly costs for local: $250
- Meal: $2.5
- Small Cola: $0.5
- Beer 1 Pint: $1.4
- Coffee: $0.9
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