On a gentle slope above a fertile plain north of the Middle Atlas, a field of broken columns, mosaic floors and stone arches stands in the sun. It is hard to believe, as you walk along a paved street between the foundations of Roman houses, that you are in Morocco, far from Rome. But Volubilis was once a prosperous provincial city, a place of wealthy olive-oil merchants, public baths and elegant town houses. Today it is the best-preserved Roman site in the country, and one of the finest in North Africa. It is also a place where the layers of history are unusually easy to read.
The city before Rome
The site was inhabited long before the Romans came. Excavations show that a settlement existed here as early as the 3rd century BC, built by local Berber people, with Phoenician and Carthaginian influence on the culture and trade of the region. The setting was ideal: a fertile plain, a stream, and a position on routes linking the Atlantic coast, the mountains and the interior.
By the 1st century BC, the town had become the capital of the kingdom of Mauretania, a client state allied with Rome. Its most famous ruler was Juba II, a scholar-king raised in Rome, who reigned from about 25 BC to AD 23 and whose wife, Cleopatra Selene, was the daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Antony. The court is said to have been cultured and Hellenised, and under Juba II the capital probably flourished. The exact location of his palace is debated, and the royal capital may have been elsewhere, but Volubilis was clearly an important place.
Roman Volubilis
After the death of Juba’s son Ptolemy, who was assassinated in AD 40 on the orders of the emperor Caligula, Rome annexed the kingdom, and around AD 44 it became part of the province of Mauretania Tingitana. Volubilis was granted the status of a municipium, a self-governing town, and later it grew in size and wealth.
Its prosperity rested on agriculture, above all olive oil. The plain around the city was ideal for olive groves, and the oil was exported across the Roman world. Archaeologists have found remains of dozens of olive presses in the city, in both public spaces and private houses, a sign of how central the industry was. The profits built grand houses, public buildings and monuments, many of which survive in some form.
The city reached its peak in the 2nd and early 3rd centuries AD. A large part of the town was surrounded by a defensive wall built in the 160s, and in AD 217 the inhabitants erected a monumental triumphal arch in honour of the emperor Caracalla and his mother, Julia Domna. At its height, the population may have numbered several thousand.
The end of Roman rule
By the late 3rd century, the situation had changed. In about AD 285, Roman administration withdrew from much of Mauretania Tingitana, probably because of the difficulty of defending such a distant province. Volubilis, however, was not abandoned. Its inhabitants, a mixture of Romanised Berbers and others, continued to live there for centuries, and the town kept its Latin-speaking Christian community for a long time. When the Arab conquest reached Morocco, Volubilis was still a settlement.
In 788 Idris I, a descendant of the Prophet who had fled the east, arrived in the region and was welcomed by the local Berber tribes. He founded the Idrisid dynasty, the first Moroccan Arab dynasty, and Volubilis served as an early base. The nearby town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun grew up around his tomb. When Idris II founded Fez, the old Roman city lost its importance, and over the centuries it was slowly abandoned.
Destruction and rediscovery
Time and nature took their toll. An earthquake, often associated with the great Lisbon earthquake of 1755, brought down many of the standing buildings. Later, in the 17th and 18th centuries, the sultan Moulay Ismail removed stone and marble from Volubilis to build his palaces in nearby Meknes. By the 19th century, the site was largely a field of ruins.
Systematic excavation began in the early 20th century, led by French archaeologists, and continued for decades. The work revealed streets, houses, public buildings and a wealth of mosaics, and some of the monuments were partly re-erected. In 1997 UNESCO inscribed Volubilis on the World Heritage List as an exceptionally well-preserved example of a large Roman colonial town on the fringes of the empire.
What to see
The site covers a large area, but the main sights can be seen in a circuit of about two hours.
The Triumphal Arch. At the end of the main street, this arch built in AD 217 is the most photographed monument. It was restored in the 20th century, and its proportions give a vivid impression of the grandeur of the town. Look at the inscription and the niches where statues once stood.
The Decumanus Maximus. The principal street of the city, lined with the foundations of houses and shops, runs from the Triumphal Arch across the site. You walk on the same stone paving used by the inhabitants, and you can see the grooves worn by cart wheels.
The Capitol and the Basilica. At the centre of the town stands the forum, with a basilica, a building used for law courts and business, and a temple dedicated to Jupiter, Juno and Minerva, the Capitoline triad. The columns and the raised platform give a sense of the civic heart of the city.
The mosaics. Volubilis is best known for its mosaic floors, many of which remain in place in the houses where they were laid. The House of Orpheus has a famous mosaic of the musician Orpheus charming wild animals. The House of the Labours of Hercules shows scenes from the hero’s legendary tasks. The House of the Dog is named after a mosaic depicting a dog, and other floors show scenes of the gods, athletes and the sea. The colours of the small stone tesserae, in ochre, white, black and green, remain surprisingly vivid.
The Gordian Palace. One of the largest buildings of the town, this complex of rooms and courtyards, thought to have been the residence of the governor or a wealthy citizen, gives an idea of how large and elaborate the grand houses could be.
The olive presses. Scattered across the site are stone pressing bases and basins. They are not spectacular, but they explain the source of the wealth that built the city, and it is a moving detail to see the evidence of an industry that is still the backbone of the region’s farming.
The baths. Remains of public baths, with their heating systems and mosaic floors, show the Roman habit of bathing as a social activity.
Practical visiting tips
- Go early or late. The site is exposed, and summer heat can be intense. Early morning and late afternoon offer the best light for photographs and the most comfortable temperatures.
- Allow two hours. A full circuit with time for the mosaics takes about this long. More if you wish to wander.
- Take a guide. The ruins are much more interesting when someone explains the function of each building, and licensed guides are available at the entrance.
- Wear sturdy shoes, a hat and sunscreen, and bring water. There is little shade.
- Respect the site. Do not walk on the mosaics, and avoid climbing on the walls.
- Check opening hours and fees. They can change, so confirm locally.
- Combine with Moulay Idriss. The hill town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun is only a few minutes away, with views back over the ruins.
Where Volubilis fits in a trip
Volubilis is usually visited from Fez, Meknes or Rabat, and it makes an excellent half-day or full-day excursion. Meknes, the imperial city of Moulay Ismail, is about thirty kilometres away, and a combined visit to the two is a good way to see two very different pasts. The sanctuary town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, which grew around the tomb of the founder of the first Moroccan Arab dynasty, lies on the hill above. Fez is just over an hour’s drive to the east.
Seeing the north by bike
The region around Volubilis is rolling farmland with olive groves, cereal fields and views of the Middle Atlas, and it makes pleasant cycling country. Quiet country roads link Meknes, Moulay Idriss and Volubilis, and a gentle ride gives a very different feeling from arriving by car. We do not currently run a tour in this area, but we can plan a private ride on request: tell us your dates and level, and we will suggest a route. For general advice on conditions and seasons, see the best time to cycle Morocco, and for safety tips on the road, read is cycling in Morocco safe.
If you are exploring the Roman and Islamic heritage of Morocco more widely, our other guides cover Aït Ben Haddou, the fortified village of the southern caravan road, and the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech, a masterpiece of Almohad architecture. Together, they give a sense of how many cultures have shaped the country.
A different Morocco
Volubilis reminds us that Morocco’s history is layered. Before the Arab conquest there were Berber kingdoms, Phoenician traders and Roman administrators, and each left traces that are still visible. The people who lived here were not simply Romans in a distant colony. They were a mixture of Berbers, Greeks, Syrians and Italians, and the inscriptions on the arch and the mosaics reflect a cosmopolitan society. Standing among the columns, it is worth remembering that Latin, Berber and Greek were once all heard in these streets.
Final thoughts
Visit Volubilis slowly. Walk the length of the main street, stop for a while in the House of Orpheus, and look back at the arch from the far end of the forum. Notice the view over the plain, with the olive groves that have fed the region for two thousand years. In the soft light of the late afternoon, with the stones turning gold and swallows swooping between the columns, you will understand why this is one of the most evocative places in Morocco.