Day Trip to Roman Ruins of Volubilis

Leaving Fes in the morning by bus, we drove into the countryside, first passing the Royal farm, which supplies the royal palace in Fes. Then we moved on to private farms of fava beans, barley, chickpeas, coriander, parsley and groves of olives and pomegranates. All ingredients for the tasty meals we’ve been eating (including Harira, a traditional Moroccan soup we have before nearly every dinner).

After a couple of hours, we arrived at Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage site with well-preserved Roman ruins dating to 100 BC. This was a thriving city for 400 years before the Berbers pushed out the Romans in 300 AD.

The site occupies 250 acres, and only 1/3 of it is excavated, mostly due to lack of funding. There is no evidence of active excavations. Still intact are several of the mosaic floors with vibrant colors, and numerous columns. We could wander freely around the site with a local guide. It was sunny and not too warm, and there were relatively few other visitors.

We then moved on to the village of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, where the founder of Fes was born and is buried. He was a descendant of the prophet Mohamed and the first Muslim king of Morocco. (Previous monarchies were under Berber rulers.) People make pilgrimages to this town because of the connection to the prophet. Before there were hotels, the locals would open their homes to visitors, and our lunch was in one of those homes. It was about a 10-minute walk through more winding alleyways, much like the old town of Fes.

Finally, we did a drive-by of 17th century Meknes, famous for its ramparts. This was during a time when Morocco was under attack from numerous Europeans countries, as well as the British. The Sultan Moulay Ismail (king from 1672-1727) built 3 sets of walls and enough granaries to withstand a 10-year siege, as well as a secret aqueduct (so it couldn’t be poisoned).

Sultan Moulay Ismail’s grandson is the one who signed the longest running peace treaty the U.S. has signed. In 1786, Morocco was the first country to formally recognize American independence, a document that remains the longest unbroken relationship in U.S. history.Read more