Embarking on our Moroccan adventure, we expected great food, foreign sights and sounds, and lots of great old towns. What we didn’t expect was to visit an old Roman town. This was partially due to our lack of in depth research around the trip, however we adopted a mindset to ‘take things as they come’ and not ‘over-research’ each part of our travels.
We had a morning day trip to the old Roman city of Volubilis. Led by a local guide, we explored this ancient town with a remarkable history. The city is located near Meknes, and has history as old as 3rd century BC. The city developed under Roman rule 1st century AD, and had a period of Islamic settlement. A substantial 18th century earthquake decimated the town, and it has only been excavated and reconstructed in recent times (19th century, started by the French).
We loved the history, and the ability to literally walk through, and onto the ruins. This unique experience helped you really feel and understand the history. Part of the ruins are very old, with some stones being as old as 200 BC. We would highly recommend getting a local guide, as while it was visually impressive walking through the town, the description of history as you were literally walking through the streets and buildings made this experience a unique and memorable one. The rebuilt arches, columns and mosaics are impressive and unlike most of Morocco. Consider adding this unique experience to your Moroccan itinerary!
How long should you spend here? We spent 2-3 hours here with a local guide, with this being sufficient to wander most of the ruins and learn the history. You would need a private driver or taxi to get here, so possibly organising a tour starting in Meknes to drive you there as well would be optimal.
WANT TO SEE MORE Morocco & TRAVEL MEMORIES?
The tannery in Fez was one of the unique experiences we enjoyed in Morocco! Take a look at the gallery and the history!
Take a look at a gallery showing some of the stunning doors of Morocco which caught our eye during our trip! Have a look!
Keep reading about our time in Morocco! Take a look here!
Keen to take a look at further travel memories and advice? Take a look here!
