Volubilis

Volubilis was the great Roman city of the province of Mauretania Tingitana, near the empire's southwestern edge, and its ruins, spread across a fertile plain beneath the holy town of Moulay Idriss, are the finest Roman remains in Morocco and a World Heritage Site. Founded on an older Amazigh and Carthaginian settlement, it grew rich on the olive oil pressed in the surrounding hills, and enough survives to read the city clearly: a triumphal arch, the columns of the basilica and capitol, a main street lined with the foundations of houses, and, above all, a remarkable series of floor mosaics still in place where they were laid, depicting gods, animals and myths in the rooms of the wealthy. Storks nest on the tallest columns, and the setting, with the ruins rising from green fields and hills, is as memorable as the stonework.

History

The area has been inhabited since the Late Atlantic Neolithic, some 5,000 years ago, and by the 3rd century BC the Carthaginians were present, leaving a temple to Baal and inscriptions in Phoenician; the city's magistrates kept the Punic title of suffete long after. Augustus put Juba II on the Mauretanian throne in 25 BC, and Juba, married to Cleopatra Selene, daughter of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, made Volubilis a second capital in the Roman taste. After Claudius annexed Mauretania in 44 AD the city grew to about 42 hectares inside 2.6 kilometres of walls, adding a basilica, temple and triumphal arch in the 2nd century and fine houses with mosaics paid for by olive oil. In the late 8th century it became the seat of Idris ibn Abdallah, founder of the Idrisid dynasty, but by the 11th century it was abandoned after power moved to Fes; the ruins stayed largely intact until the earthquake of 1755 and the stone-robbing for Meknes that followed. Excavations began in 1915 under the Dieulafoys at the request of Lyautey, and in 1997 Volubilis became a World Heritage Site (Wikipedia, Volubilis).

What you'll find

• The floor mosaics - the intricate mosaics still in place in the grand houses.
• The triumphal arch - the arch of Caracalla astride the main street.
• The basilica and capitol - the standing columns at the civic heart of the city.
• The setting - the ruins rising from fertile fields below Moulay Idriss.

When to go

Spring and autumn are ideal, with green fields and mild temperatures; summer is very hot on the open, shadeless site, so go early or late in the day. Morning light is kind for photographing the mosaics and arch. It pairs naturally with the nearby pilgrimage town of Moulay Idriss.

Things to know

The site is open and shadeless, so summer midday visits are hot and tiring; bring water and sun protection. The mosaics are exposed to the weather and roped rather than covered, so their survival in the open is remarkable but they show wear. A guide adds a lot, as signage is limited. It is a half-day trip from Meknes rather than a destination in itself.

Nearby

The whitewashed pilgrimage town of Moulay Idriss is minutes away; Meknes and Fès are within an easy drive.

Key facts