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Marble head of young barbarian, artifact from Volubilis Rabat Archaeological museum

The visitor’s center-museum cantilevers over an exhibit of stellae and pedestals

© Eric Ross

© Eric Ross

Volubilis is a partly excavated Berber and Roman city situated near the city of Meknes, and commonly considered as the ancient capital of the kingdom of Mauretania (a former tribal Berber kingdom). An UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997, Volubilis located at the foothills of the Zerhoun mountains, covers a sprawling area of 42 hectares. It had been developed since the 3rd century BC, but reached its apex as the capital of the kingdom of Mauritania under Roman rule

The town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun adjacent to the site

Roman mosaics of Dolphins, a Roman good luck symbol from The House of Orpheus

The House of Orpheus

The House of Orpheus, a complex of rooms that were part of a large mansion of one of the city’s richest merchants. It is divided into public and private sections, each with a separate entrance and interior court

The House of Orpheus, the public apartments

Orpheus playing a lute in the centre with wild African animals surrounding him

the triclinium or the dining room of the villa

Volubilis contains essentially Roman vestiges of a fortified municipium built on a commanding site at the foot of the Jebel Zerhoun. Covering an area of 42 hectares, it is of outstanding importance demonstrating urban development and Romanisation at the frontiers of the Roman Empire and the graphic illustration of the interface between the Roman and indigenous cultures. Because of its isolation and the fact that it had not been occupied for nearly a thousand years, it presents an important level of authenticity. It is one of the richest sites of this period in North Africa, not only for its ruins but also for the great wealth of its epigraphic evidence

House of Orpheus, mosaic of aquatic creatures and sea monsters

The House of Orpheus

The House of Orpheus

Roman mosaic of Amphitryon's chariot, detail from below Orpheus surrounded by animals, from the House of Orpheus

The House of Orpheus

Next to the House of Orpheus are the remains of Galen’s Baths, the city’s main public baths restored by the Emperor Gallienius in the second century AD. Although much broken and the mosaics fragmentary, they clearly show the highly developed underground heating system used in Roman baths.

A reconstruction of the grinding mechanism used in the production of oil, including both grinding stones.

A reconstructed Roman olive press

The abandonment of the town for many centuries ensured that its ruins remained in an excellent state of conservation. The ruins should be the subject of long-term conservation programmes to preserve their authenticity

Just above the House of Orpheus are the city’s main public buildings – the Capitol, Basilica and Forum

The ancient city of Volubilis in Morocco may have taken its name from the Berber name oualilt for the flower of oleander

The second century Basilica and The Capitoline Temple

Exterior of the Basilica

The Capitol, the smaller of the buildings, dates back to 217 AD and was dedicated to the official state cult of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva

View of the monumental civic center

Narcissus Paperwhite (Narcissus papyraceus)

The Arch of Caracalla, at the foot of the Decumanus Maximus

The Arch of Caracalla, at the foot of the Decumanus Maximus

Dedicatory inscription

The marble Triumphal Arch, right in the middle of town, was erected in 127 AD in honour of the Severian Emperor Caracalla and his mother, Julia Donna. The arch was surmounted by a bronze chariot and with its Corinthian columns remains an impressive monument

From the Triumphal Arch, the ceremonial road, Decumanus Maximus, stretches up the slope to the northernmost gate, Tangier gate

The town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun adjacent to the site houses the tomb of this founder and is the subject of an annual pilgrimage

Roman mosaic in the House of the Athlete or Desultor, located near the forum

The House of the Athlete also known as the House of the Acrobat. It has an impressive mosaic depicting an athlete presented with a trophy for winning a desultory race, a competition in which the rider has to dismount and leap back on his horse in full gallop

The House of the Athlete

The mosaic-less mansion House of the Columns, named after the columns around its interior court

House of the Columns

House of the Columns

Crocus

Mandragora autumnalis (mandrake or autumn mandrake)

to be continued

Sound: Saïd Chraïbi - Awtar Chaâbiya 2016

Text: InternetPictures: Sanda Foişoreanu Sanda Negruțiu InternetCopyright: All the images belong to their authors

Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanuhttps://plus.google.com/+SandaMichaela