al- Kāf

• Location: Tunisia
• Variant names: Sicca Veneria, Colonia Julia Cirta Nova, Shikka Banariya

Also known as el-Kef. Situated on the slopes of the Haut Tell at 2 559feet (780 m), the name comes from kahf and means 'The Cave' in Arabic. Built as a Carthaginian fortress, it became a Roman colony in the time of Caesar Augustus^† known first as Sicca Veneria, named after a Phoenician goddess identified with Venus, the goddess of love. The Arabic name, Shikka Banariya, is an adaptation of the Roman name.

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