The St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral ( es, Catedral de San Francisco de Asís de El Aaiún; french: Cathédrale de Saint François d'Assise) or just Spanish Cathedral, is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

that serves as the

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...

church of the apostolic prefecture of Western Sahara (''Praefectura Apostolica de Sahara Occidentali''). It is located in the city of Laayoune (''El Aaiún''),

Western Sahara Western Sahara ( '; ; ) is a disputed territory on the northwest coast and in the Maghreb region of North and West Africa. About 20% of the territory is controlled by the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), while the r ...

, a territory that is in dispute between

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Saint Francis of Assisi Cathedral, (interior) El Aaiun, Western Sahara 6

The church was built in 1954, during the Spanish colonial presence in

Spanish Sahara Spanish Sahara ( es, Sahara Español; ar, الصحراء الإسبانية, As-Sahrā'a Al-Isbānīyah), officially the Spanish Possessions in the Sahara from 1884 to 1958 then Province of the Sahara between 1958 and 1976, was the name used f ...

with the design of architect Diego Méndez, author of the project of " Valley of the Fallen" in San Lorenzo de El Escorial in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. Today, the cathedral is in the charge of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and serves the small Spanish community in the city that is still present, as well as serving active personnel of the UN mission in the country.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral, Church Roman Catholic cathedrals in Western Sahara Buildings and structures in Laayoune Roman Catholic churches completed in 1954 1954 establishments in Spanish Sahara 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings

See also

References