The Roman ruins of Volubilis are the most well preserved ruins in Morocco
The Roman ruins of Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage site, stretches over 40 hectares and are the most well preserved ruins in Morocco.
The Romans began building the city of Volubilis around 40AD in order to keep control of this North African region which was successively occupied by the Greeks, Berbers, Jews and the Carthaginian merchants. In the second and third centuries, the region began to develop more rapidly when the Romans began cultivating grain here.
The victory Arch, built in 217AD in honour of the Roman emperor Caracalla, formally had a bronze chariot atop its ancient stones, which was restored in 1962. On the other side, the house of Ephebe provides shelter for a remarkable mosaic depicting Bacchus on his chariot. The Capital was built facing the basilica 217AD on a headland that towers over the bare and arid plain.
The best time to visit the monument is at sunset, when the shadows on the monuments grow and when the tourist hordes have left. The mosaics at this site make it a must visit, the most popular being Orpheus and Amphitrite’s Chariot, located in the house of a rich merchant it is a place of pilgrimage for ceramic art lovers.
