Roman ruins at Volubilis in Morocco
Roman ruins at Volubilis in Morocco
At first glance the ruins of Volubilis in Morocco seem to be just a pile of old rocks, some still in place, others scattered on the ground. These Roman ruins were very badly damaged in an earthquake in the mid 18th century.
On closer inspection, however, I was amazed at the details in the colourful mosaic tiling in the floors, and some of the engravings on the stone work, such as the columns shown in today’s photos.
Roman ruins at Volubilis in Morocco
Roman ruins at Volubilis in Morocco
Roman ruins at Volubilis in Morocco
Roman ruins of Volubilis in Morocco
Roman ruins at Volubilis in Morocco
Over recent days I have been sharing photos I took during our visit to the ancient Roman ruins at Volubilis in Morocco.Today I share a few more.
We had several hours of wandering around these fascinating structures, trying to image life here back in first century AD when this town was a bustling commercial and cultural centre. The writer in me wanted to know some of the stories of the people who once lived here. If only the stones could tell.
Roman ruins at Volubilis in Morocco
Roman ruins at Volubilis in Morocco
Mosaics in the Roman ruins of Volubilis, Morocco
Mosaics at the Roman ruins of Volubilis in Morocco
Perhaps one of the highlights of our visit to the ancient ruins of Volubilis in Morocco was to view the amazing mosaics in the floors of the various buildings. The colourful tiles used to make these floors some two millennia ago are still showing beautiful colour and detail. we have nothing like this in Australia except the old paintings and carvings of our Aboriginal people.
Mosaics at the Roman ruins of Volubilis in Morocco
Mosaics at the Roman ruins of Volubilis in Morocco
Mosaics at the Roman ruins of Volubilis in Morocco
Roman ruins at Volubilis, Morocco
Roman ruins at Volubilis in Morocco
The Roman ruins at Volubilis in Morocco are an UNESCO World Heritage site, with good reason. This ancient city housing about 20,000 people in the first century AD was first settled in the third century BC. Only recently has the extent of the city been discovered, and archaeological digging continues.
I found our visit to this site an amazing experience. I had no idea the Romans had settled in this part of Morocco. You can read about the history of these ruins here.
I’ll be sharing more photos of the ruins in the coming days.
Roman ruins at Volubilis in Morocco
Roman ruins at Volubilis in Morocco
Roman ruins at Volubilis in Morocco
Roman ruins, Volubilis, Morocco
Roman ruins, Volubilis, Morocco
After leaving Meknes we travelled on towards Fes, stopping along the way to visit the ancient ruins of the Roman town of Volubilis. This UNESCO World Heritage site turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip for me – one out of many highlights, I might add. Before this, I had no idea that the Romans had once occupied a part of what is now Morocco. I knew from my studies in history that their empire was extensive, but never realised it had extended so far west in Africa.
We had several hours to wander around the extensive site, our guide giving us an excellent insight into life in those times. The town, once with about 20,000 inhabitants, was settled in the third century BC by the Pheonicians. Under Roman rule in the first century AD it thrived as a trading centre set in the fertile farming around around it. It eventually became the cultural and administrative centre of that part of Morocco, until the seat of power moved to Fes in the 11th century. The town existed for at least another 700 years, first as a Christian settlement and later Islamic.
You can read more of its extensive history here.
Over coming days I will share many more photos of this amazing place.
Roman ruins, Volubilis, Morocco
Roman ruins, Volubilis, Morocco