Volubilis Favorites

Favorite thing: The forum of Volubilis is typical to the Roman town. But with a population of about 20.000, it still achieved impressive size. The columns still standing here are more than high enough to dwarf most people.

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Favorite thing: No Roman town of any particular size could be without the important military and seremonical structure of the triumphal arch. In Volubilis it is placed at the end of the main street Decumanus Maximus. And after the triumphal arch there is nothing to be found of ancient ruins, only fields and grass. Its size is not the most impressive, but it is in good shape, and is striking if you step out into the fields of no ruins and look back at it.

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Fondest memory: Volubilis was a Roman settlement constructed on what was probably a Carthaginian city, dating from 3rd century BC. Volubilis was a central administrative city for this part of Roman Africa, responsible for the grain producing in this fertile region, and exports to Rome. Volubilis was also administering contacts with the Berber tribes which the Romans never managed to suppress, but who only came as far as to cooperate with the Romans for mutual benefits.

Unlike so many other Roman cities, Volubilis was not abandoned after the Romans lost their foothold in this part of Africa in the 3rd century. Even the Latin language survived for centuries, and as not replaced before the Arabs conquered North Africa in the late 7th century.
People continued to live in Volubilis for more than 1,000 years more. Volubilis was first abandoned in the 18th century, when it was demolished in order to provide for building materials for the construction of the palaces of Moulay Ismail in nearby Meknes. If that demolishing had not arrived, Volubilis could have become one of the best preserved Roman sites anywhere.
The main area of Volubilis, and the only area that really attracts visitors, Moroccans and foreigners, is no more than 800 x 600 metres (measured by the walls). And if you carry a good guide book, none of the guides at the gate is needed. Much of the best excavations have been moved to the Archaeological Museum close to the royal palace in Rabat, but Volubilis offers ruins of quite good quality, and about 30 high quality mosaics that still stand in their original place. There is an admission fee for entering the Volubilis of about 20 dh.

Favorite thing: HOTELS AND ALTERNATIVES
No hotel, use Meknes as your base.

RESTAURANTS AND ALTERNATIVES
Expensive café at the entrance of Volubilis.

CHANGE MONEY
No banks, use fascilities in Meknes.

TRANSPORT
A bit problematic, connections out of Meknes are OK, but don't be surprised if you find yourself waiting for some time for buses or taxis in Volubilis.

Favorite thing: Some of the buildings are in rather good condition, although the local people certainly put away stones, they needed for their own gardens or houses during all these last 20 centuries

Fondest memory: Fortunately some of these columns and ornaments you still may see there, simply were to big to be transported anywhere else.

Favorite thing: Just imagine to be able to walk the original Roman paths through Volubilis.

Most of these stones are still on the same spot like they were put more than 2000 years ago.

Fondest memory: Just have a look into your own garden or a park inside your city...

...paths with stones like these are un-even already after a few years of existence !

Favorite thing: Have a look at these great mosaiques, and considder the time, they were made, more than 2000 years ago, without almost any of the modern techniques that we know of today.

Fondest memory: Still this mosaik is somehow 3-dimenional and is still in a great condition after all that time.

Favorite thing: a great mosaique in the landscape - the surrounding houses are gone, the mosaique is still there, and mostly in perfect condition

Fondest memory: It is always amazing for me to see, that old ruins like this one remain in the landscapes and nobody cares or takes away anything in all these centuries gone by