Rockin' in Roman Ruins

At the edge of the Roman Empire's West African advance, was the city of Volubilis, a city that proved the wealth of the empire. Built on the site of an old Berber capitol city this Imperial Province was an agriculture and trade center. The ruins that were uncovered by the French are still an impressive sight, even after centuries of reconstruction and destruction. It should be noted that the majority of the ruins were rebuilt by the French during their occupation of Morocco.


During our visit to the ruins, the weather was oppressively hot, with some estimates on temperature hovering in the high 30's, this value is in Celsius for our American audience it was between 95 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit. At its peak Volubilis had a population estimated to have 15,000 residents within the walls of the city. Like any decently sized Roman city Volubilis hosted a vast array of commercial entities, including olive presses, a decently sized bath house, and of course a brothel. The few pieces of art work from the Roman era were in various stages of disrepair but still cool to look at.

A piece of tile work from what was once a dining room.