Great Synagogue (Oran)

The Great Synagogue of Oran (French: Grande synagogue d' Oran, Arabic: معبد وهران العظيم, also known as the Israelite Temple Oran, French temple israélite d' Oran ) in Algeria was built in 1880 on the initiative of Simon Kanoui and inaugurated, the opening was however only in 1918. former synagogue is located on the Boulevard Maata Mohamed El Habib (the former Avenue Joffre ) and is now the Abdellah Ben Salem Mosque. As a Jewish place of worship, it was one of the largest and most magnificent synagogues in North Africa. After Algerian independence in 1962, it was finally seized in 1975 and converted into a mosque. She was one of at least 17 confiscated by the Algerian government synagogues.

The National Code of the newly independent Algeria awarded only Muslims citizenship, even demanded, that only persons who have their fathers and paternal grandparents a Muslim family status, could become citizens of the new state. All Jewish and Christian inhabitants were driven into exile. After the end of the French occupation of Algeria all French and Jewish Algerians were granted French citizenship, most of them were there already emigrated to France.