Situated in a fertile plain at the foot of Mount Zerhoun, the sprawling remains of Morocco’s oldest Roman site — Volubilis — have survived pillage and long periods of neglect.
However, after decades of decay, custodians of the now closely guarded ancient city have turned the page and are bringing back the tourists.
The site, nestled among olive groves near the city of Meknes, boasts a new museum and visitor center and has been attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Photo: AFP
They stroll along the main artery lined with porticoes and the remnants of vast mansions, whose mosaic floors testify to a prosperous past. A triumphal arch, a classic symbol of Roman architecture, sits at the top of what once was the main compound.
Known in Arabic as “Oualili,” the city was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. The city has “known several civilizations, from the Mauritanian era to the Romans through the Islamic period,” according to Mohamed Alilou, topographer and assistant conservator of the site.
Volubilis was founded in the 3rd century BC by a Moorish community, before being annexed by the Roman Empire in 42 AD.
At its peak, it would have counted up to 15,000 inhabitants.
Threatened by civil wars across the empire, the Romans evacuated the city in 285. It did not regain its splendor until the arrival of Arab conquerors in the 7th century.
In the 8th century when the Idrisid dynasty erected the city of Fez as its new capital, Volubilis fell once more into disuse.
At the end of the 17th century, Sultan Moulay Ismail sent thousands of slaves to plunder Volubilis’ marble columns for the construction of his palace in Meknes.
“On the track leading from Volubilis to Meknes, we found capitals [of columns] abandoned by slaves, who fled when they learnt that Moulay Ismail was dead,” said Alilou, who has been watching over the site for more than 30 years.
Excavations at Volubilis began in 1915, along with research programs and restoration work, but renewed interest in the site brought with it looting, especially during the period of French colonial rule from 1912 to 1956.
Moroccan media frequently warn that the nation’s heritage — archeological finds, mosaics and ancient coins — is being looted.
However, in Volubilis, looting is a thing of the past; “the site is fenced off and well guarded,” Alilou said. “We have a team of 14 guards who work day and night, cameras are everywhere.”
Mustafa Atki, another conservator, said the whole issue of looting was “sometimes exaggerated.”
Since the opening of its museum in 2013, the 17-hectare ancient city has attracted several hundred thousand visitors a year.
“In 2017, for the first time we past the 300,000 mark,” Atki said.
Volubilis has yet to reveal all of its secrets, as one-third has yet to be excavated, Alilou said.
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