Cefalù is a medieval town built on the site of an ancient Sicanian and Greek settlement. Its name derives from the Greek word for a cape. It is a commercial and fishing center and a seaside resort. Formerly known as Cephaloedium, probably founded as an outpost of the Greek city of Himera and first appeared in history about 395 BC as an ally of the Carthaginian leader Himilco. It made an alliance with Carthage in 396 B.C. The town was later taken by the Arabs (mid-9th cent. A.D.) and the Normans (11th cent.). Its famous cathedral, started in 1131 by King Roger II, is one of the finest examples of Norman architecture in Sicily. The floor plan and artistic style, typical of those of many cathedrals built in Northern Europe during the same period, differ somewhat from the simple Romanesque lines of Monreale's cathedral, especially when viewed from the outside. The church was one of the first Sicilian cathedrals built on the Western model, with a long nave and distinct transept. This indicates an influence more Norman than Byzantine or Arab, though the icon of Christ in the apse leaves no doubt about the Eastern (Orthodox) tradition still very much alive in western Sicily at the time the church was built. Of interest is also the lavatoio (lavandai), a medieval wash house fed by freshwater springs, and the Osteria Magna (Great Guesthouse), where King Roger stayed during his visits to Cefalù.