Volubilis (Arrabia: "Yo-yo-wee-lee")

Took a semi-spontaneous trip to the Roman ruins of Volubilis on Saturday. It was the only thing Paolo had left on his wishlist for Morocco, and it was incredible.

Volubilis is about half an hour outside of Meknes, a large city an hour north of us. It was originally founded by Carthaginian traders around the 3rd century BC, but was annexed by Rome in 40 AD. At it's peak, it held around 20,000 people (thank you, Lonely Planet). The Berbers weren't huge fans of Roman imperialism and managed to chase them off, in the appropriate Berber fashion, around 200 years later. It's the best preserved Roman site in Morocco, and has some really fantastic mosaics, standing structures, and foundations. The best part is that you can walk pretty much wherever you'd like. But don't walk on the mosaics. Please don't walk on the mosaics.




I think Paolo felt right at home.