Volubilis
You first see Volubilis from a distance lying in the middle of a fertile plain. A practical place for the Romans to build their most far flung city in North Africa. Yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site. It would look even more spectacular if Moulay Ismail hadn’t torn it down to help build nearby Meknes.
A bit of a sprawling site & we needed our guide to help us understand the ruins.
Morocco Photos:
The Romans built the city in the first century AD & stayed for 200 years. The city remained populated until Moulay Ismail stripped it of all its marble. The city was one of the main sources for supplying lions & other wild animals back to Rome. If it weren’t for the Romans insatiable appetite for sacrificing animals in their games there might still be lions in the surrounding hills!
Ann in front of the triumphal Arch dedicated to the emperor Caracalla who was of Berber descent. It was originally topped with a bronze chariot.
A cute local boy. I hardly ever saw anyone else wearing a fez.
The storks look out of place with their over-sized nests on top of the pillars.
To the right is column with unusual diagonal fluting.
Mosaic of The Seasons
Luckily the mosaic floors avoided Moulay Ismail’s vandalism. There are many well preserved mosaics at Volubilis with more photos here
The Sign of a House of Ill-repute. The carving on this block leaves little to the imagination as to services supplied therein.