Volubilis – a Roman city and Meknes

Located between the Imperial cities of Fes and Meknes, Volubilis is visible from some distance.

Established before the Christian Era, at a time when the area was part of Mauretania, Volubilis was considered the administrative center of the kingdom of Mauretania and also one of the most remote cities within the Roman Empire, located in the far southwestern region.

The city continued to grow in the second and third centuries, and is believed to have housed about 20,000 residents.

In the eighth century, when Islam arrived in the region, the churches were destroyed, but the city was inhabited by locals until the 11th century.

In the 18th century, the Lisbon earthquake caused the destruction of the buildings. In 1997, the archaeological site was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Bab el-Mansour is one of the main sights in Meknes. Completed in 1732, the gate is impressive not only for its size but its original green and white zellij tiles, marble columns and inscriptions from the Quran across the top.

In the 17th century the king built a very extensive complex of walls and Royal Granaries to store huge amounts of grain and water plus an area to stable his 12,000 or so horses. The size and scope must have been quite a feat of engineering in the day. An earthquake in the 18th century caused the roof to collapse.

Agdal Basin, a large reservoir lined with remnants of the walls.