It was a Phoenician and later Punic trade establishment under the name of Rusadir ("Rusaddir" for the Romans and "Russadeiron" () for the Greeks). Later Rome absorbed it as part of the Roman province of Mauretania Tingitana. Rusaddir is mentioned by Ptolemy (IV, 1) and Pliny (V, 18) who called it ""oppidum et portus"" (a fortified town and port). It was also cited by Mela (I, 33) as "Rusicada," and by the "Itinerarium Antonini". Rusaddir was said to have once been the seat of a bishop, but there is no record of any bishop of the purported see, which is not included in the Catholic Church's list of titular sees.