11th-century geographerMuhammad al-Idrisi gave an explanation to the origin the name "Asafi" as he linked it to the Arabic word "Asaf" (regret); Asafi (my regret). He based this claim on a strange story about some sailors fromal-Andalus who sailed to discover the other end of the Atlantic Ocean but got lost and landed on some island where the natives captured them and sent them back on their ships blindfolded. The ships eventually ended on the shores of "Safi" and locals helped the lost sailors and told them that they were two months away from their native landal-Andalus. Upon hearing this one of the sailors responded by saying: "Wa asafi" (Oh my regret).Al-Idrisi wrote that from that time the city carried the name "Asafi".[3]
According to historians Henri Basset and Robert Ricard, Safi was not a very ancient city.[4] It was mentioned in the writings ofal-Bakri in the 11th century and ofal-Idrisi in the 12th century.[4] According to Moroccan historian Mohammed al-Kanuni, Safi can be identified with the ancientThymiaterium or Carcunticus that was founded by theCarthaginian admiralHanno during hisPeriplus, as related byPliny the Elder.[5]
Al-Idrisi mentions Safi as a busy port in the 12th century.[4] At this time it served as a port forMarrakesh, the capital of theAlmoravids and the subsequentAlmohads, replacing the port of Ribat Kuz (present-day Souira Kedima) that had served as the main port forAghmat in the previous century.[6]
The city was underPortuguese rule from 1488 to 1541; it is believed that they abandoned it to theSaadians (who were at war with them), since the city proved difficult to defend from land attacks. TheSea Castle andKechla, two Portuguese fortresses built to protect the city, are still there today.
After 1541, the city played a major role inMorocco as one of the safest and biggestseaports in the country. Many ambassadors to theSaadian andAlaouite kings during the 16th–18th centuries came to Morocco via Safi; its proximity toMarrakech, then capital of Morocco, helped expand the maritime trade in the city. Louis De Chénier, consul of the French court in Morocco in 1767, reported that the city was the only usable seaport at the time.
AFrench Navy captive,Bidé de Maurville, who wrote the account of his stay inMorocco in his 1765 bookRelations de l'affaire de Larache, reported the presence of an important number of foreign trading houses in the city: Dutch, Danish, British and French.
After the SultanMohammed ben Abdallah built the city ofMogador (modern-day Essaouira), he banned foreign trade in all Moroccan ports except in his newly built city. Consequently, Safi stopped playing a leading role in the Moroccan trade.
In 1942 as part ofOperation Torch, American forces attacked Safi inOperation Blackstone. During November 8-10, 1942 the Americans took control over Safi and its port and took relatively few casualties compared to the other operations atCasablanca and atPort Mehdia.
Safi also used to have a largeJewish community, more than 20% of the population,[citation needed] many of whom subsequently emigrated toFrance,Canada andIsrael.
In the early 20th century, the Moroccan potterBoujemâa Lamali established a pottery school in Safi, supported by the colonial administration. Since then pottery has been a mainstay of Safi's economy. Prior to theCOVID-19 pandemic there were 2,000 registered artisans working in the city's 212 workshops, and thousands more unregistered artisans.[10]
Football andrugby are popular sports in Safi. The local football teamOlympic Safi have been competing in Morocco's premier football division,Botola, since 2004. TheRugby Union team of the same name is one of Morocco's best, having won the "Coupe du Trône" several times. There also is a little Tennis Sport Club with a couple of fields (following the high road, beyond the Colline des Poitiers).
There is an abandoned European cemetery in Safi. Some of the marble decorations have been stolen from the richest tombs, including: Russian, Portuguese, Spanish (e.g. the Do Carmo family), Italian (e.g. the Bormioli family), French (e.g., the Chanel family), German and other European nationals. Some engravings identifying or memorializing the deceased have also been stolen. Although there are 19th century tombs present, most are of pre-independence (1956) 20th century origin.[citation needed]
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