Place 1 Novembre

Oran's main square, the Place 1 Novembre, is the definitive expression of French rule in Oran. The city's main meeting place (called pl Napoleon, pl d'Armes and pl Maréchal Foch at various times in its history), it has a baroque theatre on one side and the town hall on the other, which was the city's main meeting place. In the middle of the square stands an obelisk topped with a Winged Victory, erected by French sculptor Dalou in 1898.

The original work commemorated the French soldiers who died at the battle of Sidi-Brahim in 1845. After independence the French sculpture was replaced by busts of the Sufi saint Moulay Abdelkader. The town hall, which Camus thought pretentious, has a magnificent onyx staircase and restored painted ceilings (you can usually walk in if the door is open). It's a short walk from here to the Promenade Ibn Badis, the front de mer, created in 1847 with excellent views of the port and old town.