About
Santa Cruz Castle is located in the city of Oran, which was built by the Spaniards from 1577-1604. This castle was a fortress used to monitor the port and coast of the city of Oran. , Where the large marina can be seen the strategic military port in Oran, and most of the city of Oran. Under the castle, on the slope of the hill, a small church stands, known as the Santa Cruz Church, near the castle. This small church has been renewed with a tower, which contains a huge statue of the Virgin Meriem, which is said to be a replica of the statue in the Notre Dame de la Gard Cathedral in Marseille.
The Santa Cruz Church was built by the Bishop of Oran in the place where the statue of the Virgin Meriem carried in a procession, followed by the people of the city, to the Tel Oran, when the cholera epidemic was destroyed by the residents of Oran, in 1847. They asked Barakat from the Virgin Mary to protect the city from the epidemic and blessed The place is rain. After the rains, the city of Oran and the region were rescued from the cholera epidemic. In honor of this miracle, a small church was built on the hill at the foot of Santa Cruz Castle. This church is called 'Santa Cruz Church'. She was considered the city protector. Celebrating the anniversary of this event every year until Algeria resigned in 1962, the day of ascending was celebrated when the people of Oran and the surrounding areas took the pilgrimage climbing the path of the mountain to the church.
The castle, built between 1577 and 1604, occupies a strategic location. The fortifications of the place consisted of continuous thick walls of more than two and a half kilometers, surrounded by sturdy towers and far apart from each other, with a central castle or kasbah where the Spanish ruler established his headquarters. The fort was built with iron, wood, sand, lime, and water that was carried to the hill through winding and difficult paths. After repeated enemy attacks, it was repeatedly expanded to strengthen fortifications by penetrating deep into the hill. There are underground catacombs connecting all the forts, and the tunnels that run under the town allow ascents and descents of different hills. In colonial times permission had to be obtained to explore this passage of Colonel Engineers.