Meknes & Volubilis

An hour down the road from Fez, the city of Meknes is one of the four Imperial cities and lies in the heart of the Kingdom of Morocco. After arriving in the thick of the Wednesday markets and getting lost as soon as we stepped into the medina, it was a dream to finally arrive at our peaceful riad. The enclosed courtyard was an oasis tiled in blue and surrounded by orange trees. There were even bikes and scooters waiting for the children!

The following morning we made the pilgrimage to Volubilis, a stunning example of Roman ruins from the far reaches of the Empire. Volubilis is commonly considered to be the ancient capital of the kingdom of Mauretania, and it grew under Roman rule from the 1st century onwards. Set among the fertile rolling hills and surrounding olive trees, it was magnificent to explore this ancient settlement (with only a handful of other tourists on the site that day).

Although only about half of Volubilis has been excavated, we were most impressed by the extremely well-preserved mosaics of some 2,000 years ago, still lying in situ in the homes of the city’s elite. The large reconstructed archways and triumphal arch imply grandeur, and the remains of shops, bakeries and olive presses speak of a city that was once a lively commercial centre.

Lunching nearby on the streets of Moulay Idriss we filled up on a simple diet of olives, potatoes and bread, while a passing parade of donkeys carried construction materials and sacks of bread back and forth. It seems that little has changed over the centuries here at the foot of the Atlas Mountains.