Anfa Anfa / ⴰⵏⴼⴰ / أنفا | |
|---|---|
District ofCasablanca | |
  Anfa Location in Greater Casablanca | |
| Coordinates:33°35′18″N7°38′31″W / 33.58833°N 7.64194°W /33.58833; -7.64194 | |
| Country |  Morocco |
| Region | Casablanca-Settat |
| Area | |
• Total | 37.5 km2 (14.5 sq mi) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 344.000 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (WEST) |
Anfa (Berber language:Anfa orAnaffa, ⴰⵏⴼⴰ;Arabic:أنفا) was the ancient toponym forCasablanca during the classical period. The city was founded byBerbers around the 10th century BC, with theRomans underAugustus later establishing the commercial port of "Anfus" in 15 BC. Anfa is now the name of a district in the oldest part of Casablanca, located in theCasablanca-Settat region ofMorocco. The district covers an area of 37.5 square kilometres (14.5 square miles), and as of 2024 has 344.000 inhabitants.[1]
The area which is today Casablanca was founded and settled by theBerbers by about the 10th century BC.[2] It was used as a port by thePhoenicians and later by the Romans.[3]
Romans occupied the area in 15 BC and created a commercial port underAugustus,[4] directly connected to theMogador island in theIles Purpuraires of southern Mauritania. From there they obtained a special dye, that colored the purple stripe in Imperial Roman Senatorial togas. The expedition ofJuba II to discover theCanary Islands andMadeira probably departed from Anfa.
Anfa est une grande cité, edifiée par les Romans sur le rivage de la mer Oceane... (Leo Africanus:Anfa is a big city, built by the Romans on the ocean shore...)[1]
The Roman port, probably calledAnfus, was part of a Berber client state of Rome until EmperorAugustus. When Rome annexedPtolemy of Mauretania's kingdom, Anfa was incorporated into the Roman Empire byCaligula. But this was done only nominally because the Romanlimes was a few dozen kilometers north of the port (the Roman military fortifications ofMauretania Tingitana were just a few kilometers south of theRomancolonia namedSala Colonia). However, Roman Anfa—connected mainly by commerce and by socio-cultural ties toVolubilis (autonomous from Rome since 285 AD)—lasted until the 5th century, whenVandals conquered Roman northwestern Africa.
A Roman wreck of the 2nd century, from which were salvaged 169 silver coins, shows that the Romans appreciated this useful port for commerce. There is even evidence of oil commerce with RomanVolubilis andTingis in the 3rd century.
Meanwhile, a large Berber tribe, the Berghouata, settled in the area between the rivers Bou Regreg to the north and Oum er-Rbia to the south of the Roman port.[5] Consequently, the independent Berber kingdom calledBarghawata, in the area then named Anfa, arose around in 744 AD, and continued until it was conquered by the new Berber kingdom of theAlmoravids in 1068 AD.
Abou El Kassem El Ziani refers to ancient Casablanca as "Anfa" and stated that the Zenatiyins (Berber dynasty under Arab rule) were the first people that established Anfa in the period of their settlement in Tamassna.[6]
Leo Africanus defined Anfa as a Roman city in his famousDella descrittione dell’Africa et delle cose notabili che ivi sono (Description of Africa), written in the 16th century.
Actual Anfa was originally built and settled by theBerbers in the Middle Ages. Anfa is a Berber name which means "the top". The area became an independentkingdom ruled byBarghawata from 744 CE until it was conquered by theAlmoravids in 1068.
From the 14th century, under theMarinids, Anfa rose in importance as aport. In the early 15th century, the town became an independent state once again. It also became a safe harbour forpirates, which led to it being targeted by thePortuguese, who destroyed the town in 1468. It was used by the Portuguese, who called itCasablanca, as a military fortress from 1515.
Anfa is today to the west of central Casablanca, and was the name of one of the city's twoairports before being closed in 2007. The region around Casablanca is namedCasa-Anfa. The neighborhood of Anfa is the most upper-class and westernized in the city.
The district is divided into three arrondissements:
