Cabo Hafun

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Hafun (Somali: Xaafuun; Arabic: حافون; Ancient Greek: Οπώνη, romanized: Opṓnē, Italian: Dante) is a town in the northeastern Bari province of Somalia. Situated in Ras Hafun on the coast of the Guardafui Channel, it is the centre of the Hafun District, and the easternmost town in continental Africa (this means that it sees the first sunrise on the African continent). It is an ancient town previously known as Opone. Hafun has been identified as the ancient trading port of Opone, an ancient proto-Somali city which was described in the 1st century CE Greek travelogue the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. Pottery found by an expedition led by Neville Chittick, in Oponean tombs at Damo, date back to the Mycenaean kingdom of Greece that flourished during the 16th century BC. Opone was primarily known for its trade with the Ancient Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, Persians, and the states of ancient India. Through archaeological remains, the historic port has been identified with the city of Hafun. It is possible that it corresponds to the Land of Punt as known by the ancient Egyptians during the Old, Middle, and New Kingdom. Merchants from as far afield as Indonesia and Malaysia also passed through the settlement. By 50 CE, the area was well known as a centre for the cinnamon trade, along with the bartering of cloves and other spices, ivory, exotic animal hides, and incense.