Rachgoun is a town in northwestern

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

, in the district of Béni-Saf. It is a small coastal village at the mouth of the Tafna wadi, 7 km west of the commune capital and facing its eponymous island - Rachgoun Island - located 2 km offshore. The village is organised around two sandy beaches, Rachgoun beach crossed by the stream which flows into it, and, further east, Madrid beach, a small beach in a cove, from which it is separated by a rocky promontory.

History

The site of an old

Punic The Punic people, usually known as the Carthaginians (and sometimes as Western Phoenicians), were a Semitic people who migrated from Phoenicia to the Western Mediterranean during the Early Iron Age. In modern scholarship, the term ''Punic'' ...

trading post,It is the island of Acra to the Carthaginians and the ''Portus sigensis'' to the Romans. it has been the subject of extensive excavations, on which

Serge Lancel Serge Lancel (5 September 1928 – 9 October 2005) was a French archaeologist, historian and philologist Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources. It is the intersection of textual criticism, literary cr ...

in particular worked. It is located not far from

Siga Siga was a Berber and Roman port located near what is now Aïn Témouchent, Algeria. Under the Roman Empire, it was part of western Mauretania Caesariensis, bordering Mauretania Tingitana. History Siga was a major Mediterranean port in the anc ...

, the

Numidia Numidia was the ancient kingdom of the Numidians in northwest Africa, initially comprising the territory that now makes up Algeria, but later expanding across what is today known as Tunisia and Libya. The polity was originally divided between ...

n capital of

Syphax Syphax (, ''Sýphax''; , ) was a king of the Masaesyli tribe of western Numidia (present-day Algeria) during the last quarter of the 3rd century BC. His story is told in Livy's ''Ab Urbe Condita'' (written c. 27–25 BC).

. In the Zianides era, Rachgun was a

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

. In 1836, the

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

set up a

garrison A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city ...

on the island as well as a military establishment on the right bank of the mouth of the Tafna, southwest of the tip of the Tour Carrée.

References

Bibliography

• Achour Cheurfi, ''Dictionnaire des localités algériennes'', Algiers, Casbah Editions, 2011 {{AïnTémouchent-geo-stub Populated places in Aïn Témouchent Province Archaeological sites in Algeria Phoenician colonies in Algeria