The archaeological site of Volubilis (Walīli / ⵡⴰⵍⵉⵍⵉ in Arabic and Amazigh) in Morocco offers us a great overview of Moroccan civilization during Antiquity. Initially a simple Berber village founded in the 3rd century BCE, it very quickly became the capital of the Kingdom of Mauretania, ancestor of present-day Morocco.
The Roman occupation from the 1st century BCE will allow the city to develop Mediterranean architecture. Volubilis prospered thanks to an intense olive oil trade (olive presses can still be found in the ruins). In particular, it includes:
- A forum
- Several Roman baths
- A rampart with 8 doors
- Rich houses decorated with mosaics
- Oil mills and bakeries
The Romans imbued the city with their style, the various ruins of baths and mosaics are a perfect example. The city will then become a center of influence of Roman civilization in Mauretania Tingitana (Roman province). Weakened by the fall of the Roman Empire, the city will lose its attractiveness and will be occupied by the Awraba tribe.
The city will be reborn with the Islamization of the Maghreb. Fleeing Baghdad and seeking to escape from the Abassids, Idriss I will settle it in 789CE. By marrying the daughter of the leader of the Awraba tribe from Walili, he'll launch the Idrisid dynasty, the first post-Islamic Moroccan dynasty. His son, Idriss II, founded the city of Fez in 818 near the site, which caused the decline and neglect of Volubilis.
The UNESCO classified this site as a world heritage site in 1997, considering its universal value as “exceptional”. The remains of this ancient city can still be admired, with it being situated in the middle of olive groves and fields.
