Description of the attraction
The ruins of the ancient city of Volubilis are one of the most popular historical landmarks in Morocco. They are located near Mount Zerhun, 30 km from the city of Meknes.
Volubilis has an ancient and eventful history. Even in the Neolithic times, there was a camp of people of the Stone Age in these places. And already in the III Art. BC. here were the settlements of the ancient Phoenicians. Centuries later, they were expelled from these places by the Romans, who formed their own city Volubilis (in Latin - "generosity"), which eventually became the most southwestern city of the Roman Empire and the capital of the province of Mauretania, Tingitan. The local area has long been famous for its fertility, in addition to agriculture, the locals were also engaged in the extraction of copper and the production of olive oil. The city was actively developing, and soon its population reached 20 thousand people.
A large number of earthquakes gradually brought the city into decay and at the end of the III century. the Romans left him. Four centuries later, the local lands were inhabited by Arabs, Berbers, Jews and Syrians.
At the end of the VIII Art. Volubilis became the residence of the first ruler of Morocco, the grandson of Muhamet Idris I, but he did not stay here for long either. In the XVII century. Moulay Ismail's advisers invited him to rebuild the city. But the choice of the ruler fell on the provincial Meknes, where all the marble and most of the columns from Volubilis were removed.
The terrible Lisbon earthquake that occurred in 1755 buried the city underground, leaving only the tops of buildings on the surface, including the Basilica and the Arc de Triomphe, which were discovered by Europeans in 1874. Since that time, archaeological excavations have begun in these places, thanks to which many old buildings were found and reconstructed.
Entire ancient Roman quarters are fairly well preserved underground, their houses are decorated with beautiful mosaic paintings. Also preserved are small columns that previously supported the vaults of houses, and ancient devices for the production of olive oil and wine. Of particular interest to tourists are the Capitol, the remains of the Forum and the Arc de Triomphe.
In 1997, the ruins of Volubilis were included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.
