Etymology The etymology of "Zaghouan" is thought to derive from the
Andalusian Arabic (
Isṭawán), which in turn comes from the
Arabic (
usṭuwānah) meaning 'pillar'. This origin is linked to the settlement of
Andalusian Moors in the area at the beginning of the 17th century. In Spanish, the term refers to a hallway or vestibule, typically serving as a transitional space between the exterior and interior of a building. However, Zaghouan is the presumed site of the ancient city of
Zica or
Ziqua, which may have been the source of the modern name. The city was among the many of sufficient importance in the
Roman province of
Africa Proconsularis to become a
suffragan diocese of the Metropolitan of
Carthage, in the papal sway, yet was to fade completely, probably at the seventh century
advent of Islam. Its historically documented bishops were : •
Donatist schismatic Donatus attended the
Council of Carthage in 411, where his heresy was condemned as such by the Catholic bishops, among whom Zica had no counterpart • Vincentius intervened at the
Council of Carthage in 484 called by king
Huneric of the
Vandal Kingdom, and was afterwards exiled like most Catholic bishops. ==Climate==