By Nicole DiTolla
Meknes – Right outside the rising metropolis of Meknes lies an ancient city. A city uniquely blended with Roman ideals and indigenous cultures –Volubilis.
Volubilis is one of the oldest Roman sites in the world. When step onto the site and you physically and mentally travel back centuries. Dating back from 168-169 AD, Volubilis was essential to the Roman Empire in Africa. Its ancestors were responsible for producing and exporting grain in this fertile region. Volubilis also administered contacts with the (Amazigh) Berber tribes, which the Romans never managed to suppress, but who only came as far as to cooperate with the Romans for mutual benefits.
There are traces from every civilization that lived there engrained in the ruins. From prehistory to the Islamic period, you will find traces of each period when you walk through Volubilis’ arches and forum.
But that view.
It’s one of the most magnificent views I’ve ever encountered in my life. The land stretches out for hundreds of the miles one direction. In the other direction you see the beginning of a small mountain range. And if you look into the landscape behind you, a small, colorful town is perched on the mountainside.
With a sewer system, an enormous forum, and a magnificent arch at the end of the main street, you know that the Romans knew how to construct cities. Cities that would last thousands of years. Cities that blend the cultures inhabited there since the beginning of time. But Volubilis is more than that. It’s the physical manifestation of diversity in Morocco. That’s why this is a treasure for humanity.
The magic of Volubilis is impossible to place into words. The only way to live this jaw-dropping experience is to take a visit for yourself!
For more information on visiting Volubilis check out: UNESCO
