Oran (commune)

The commune of Oran is the city of Oran, on the Mediterranean coast, and forms the daira, or district, of Oran on its own. The city is also called El Bahia, "the Radiant", and sources link its name, Wahran, to the lion. It had 609,940 inhabitants at the 2008 census (ONS). Its landmarks include Fort Santa Cruz, the old town of Sidi El Houari, the Porte d'Espagne, the Bey's Palace and Château Neuf.