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Roman exile in Morocco

December 10, 2018 | Michael Turtle | 4 Comments

WORLD HERITAGE SITE

Last Updated on December 10, 2018

Archaeological Site of Volubilis, Morocco

I would never have expected to have found Roman ruins in Morocco but, here in the middle of nowhere, what remains of a large town rises out of the countryside.

You can see the site of Volubilis from kilometres away. Even though this is quite a mountainous region of Morocco, the ruins are in an area of flat green plains and they’re easy to spot from the road as you approach or from the nearby town of Moulay Idriss.

Archaeological Site of Volubilis, Morocco

Why are they here? This would have been pretty much the extremity of the Roman Empire, not just across the sea… but then hundreds more kilometres inland. It would have been hard to protect and would have seemed like a far and isolated outpost.

Yet, it wasn’t. The fertile lands of this part of Morocco were beautiful and perfect for agriculture. This wasn’t some kind of exile – this was an exotic paradise.

Archaeological Site of Volubilis, Morocco

Although there had been a community here at Volubilis from the 3rd century BC, it was really from the 1st century AD that it expanded under Roman rule. It grew to a size of about 40 hectares – so large that a wall more than 2.5 kilometres long was needed to protect it.

There was a basilica, a temple and even a triumphal arch – maybe not rivalling the one we know in Paris these days, but impressive for the time.

Archaeological Site of Volubilis, Morocco

It wasn’t just the public buildings which were striking here. Even the houses of the residents – many of whom were clearly wealthy from selling the crops of this land – were fine structures with large mosaic floors.

Archaeological Site of Volubilis, Morocco

I spot one of the mosaic floors as I walk around the site, still clearly visible and in very good condition considering its age. The same can’t be said for much of Volubilis, which is in ruins. But enough is still standing to appreciate how this ancient city would once have looked.

Archaeological Site of Volubilis, Morocco

As I came through the main entrance, after walking about 30 minutes from nearby Moulay Idriss, there were a few men who work as unofficial guides here. They must have some kind of agreement about taking it in turns to approach tourists because only one of them starts talking to me.

He offer his services and I politely decline. He is insistent, following me and explaining why it would be better to go with him.

Archaeological Site of Volubilis, Morocco

I decline again and he becomes a bit more forceful, suggesting a price. He is not aggressive and I’m sure it would be an interesting way to explore the ruins. I want to do it alone, though, and he eventually leaves me and goes back to wait at the gate for the next visitor.

The reason I turn down the offer of a guide is because I am not so interested in the details of Volubilis today, but rather the sense of it. I want to walk by myself through these ruins and let my imagination reconstruct the city.

But if you are interested in having a guide – and also being to efficiently see some of the main sights in the area – you might want to consider one of these tours:

Archaeological Site of Volubilis, Morocco

Instead of having someone tell me what each structure would have been and what it would have been used for, I want to use my mind to build up the walls and put the ceiling back on top.

I want to hear the noises in my head of a busy market square, of people rushing through the streets, and of the chants from the religious leaders.

Archaeological Site of Volubilis, Morocco

The site has only been partially excavated but, even if archaeologists tried to put it back together, it would be impossible to return it to some sense of its original layout. Many of the stones used to build Volubilis were looted by later Moroccan rulers to build their own cities and magnificent palaces and landmarks.

Much of it went to nearby Meknes for the huge construction projects there.

Archaeological Site of Volubilis, Morocco

On a bright and warm day like today, though, I don’t worry too much about something like that. It’s pleasant walking around the site and it takes me more than an hour to explore all the different areas that I want to see.

I climb up to some kind of stone platform in the central square and look out over the piles of rocks to the green fields that lay beyond them.

Archaeological Site of Volubilis, Morocco

The landscape is probably not too different to how it was back in the 1st century. Olives was the main produce then and I’m sure there are still some olive trees out there.

There’s certainly plenty of agriculture going on and there has been no major development in the area, except for the city of Moulay Idriss up on one of the nearby hills.

Archaeological Site of Volubilis, Morocco

No, this certainly wouldn’t have been an awful exile for the Romans who came here. This is a beautiful part of the world and far from the political and military clashes that their peers back in Central Europe would have been dealing with.

So many Europeans these days seem to be buying grand holiday houses in Morocco. I guess Volubilis wasn’t too different to that back then.

This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For more info click here. You can see all the UNESCO World Heritage Sites I’ve visited here.

Morocco Travel Guide

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MOROCCO?

See my Morocco Travel Guide

To help you plan your trip to Morocco:

  • My tips on the best things to do in Marrakech
  • Why it’s worth doing a side trip to this seaside city
  • Visit an incredible World Heritage Site used for filming Game of Thrones
  • My suggestions for the best things to see in the Medina of Fez
  • What you’ll find when you explore the blue city of Chefchaouen
  • The grand buildings of the old imperial city of Meknes
  • Finding the new and the old in the capital city Rabat
  • Visit the ancient Roman ruins that are now a World Heritage Site
  • How to deal with touts in Morocco
  • Details about all the World Heritage Sites in Morocco

Let someone else do the work for you:

You may also want to consider taking a Morocco tour, rather than organising everything on your own. It’s also a nice way to have company if you are travelling solo.

I am a ‘Wanderer’ with G Adventures and they have great tours in Morocco.

You could consider:

  • Morocco Kasbahs and Desert (8 days)
  • Highlights of Morocco (15 days)
  • Sahara and Beyond (15 days)

When I travel internationally, I always get insurance. It’s not worth the risk, in case there’s a medical emergency or another serious incident. I recommend you use World Nomads for your trip.

Reader Interactions

    Comments Cancel reply

  1. Laura @Travelocafe |

    April 21, 2015 at 12:38 pm

    Reply

    I love the pics. Great read.

    • Michael Turtle |

      May 17, 2015 at 4:31 pm

      Reply

      Thanks, Laura. I don’t think it’s a particularly famous place but it’s really worth a visit. Glad you liked the photos.

  2. bourreau |

    December 9, 2018 at 4:30 am

    Reply

    Bon soir
    pays grandiose donnez mois de conseilles lieux hôtel les meilleurs dates a venir visiter ces cites grandioses
    Été l’année dernière a Marrakech pays de rêves

    Pourriez vous mieux centrée vos photos ,ou s’agit il de mon imprimante
    Merci d’avance
    Très Cordialement
    Yves Bourreau

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This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.

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