Cape Farina
Cape Farina is a headland in Bizerte Governorate, Tunisia. It forms the northwestern end of the Gulf of Tunis. The Tunisian towns of Ghar el-Melh, Rafraf, Lahmeri, and the beach of Plage Sidi Ali Mekki Est are located along the peninsula.Names
The cape was known to the Phoenicians and Carthaginians as Rusucmona, meaning the "Cape of Eshmun", a healing god in the Phoenician pantheon whom the Greeks and Romans variously interpreted as Asclepius or Apollo. From this, the cape was known under Roman rule as the or .
Its modern Arabic names are Ras et-Tarf or Ras Sidi Ali el-Mekki.Geography
The extremity of Cape Farina forms the northwestern end of the Gulf of Tunis. The geological formation responsible for Cape Farina continues underwater before rising to form Plane Island offshore.History
Under Roman rule, the peninsula preserved an ancient and important temple to "Apollo", probably representing a continuation of the Carthaginian worship of the healing god Eshmun. The settlement at Castra Delia, the largest on the peninsula, was also sometimes known by the peninsula's latinized Punic name as "Rusucmona".
Under Turkish rule, Porto Farina was a well-fortified base for piracy. This caused it to be the scene of the 1655 English assault wherein naval bombardment completely overwhelmed shore defenses for the first time.Gallery
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