Independence-ing in Moulay Idriss and Volubilis

Wednesday, November 18, was Independence Day, established in acknowledgment of the liberation of Morocco from the French and Spanish protectorates in 1956. We had the day off from school, but the truth is that most Moroccans let the holiday pass without much more than a tip of the hat in its direction. As my friend Mustapha put it, independence was a big deal when it first happened, but over the years, celebrations have become more and more subdued, dying away to essentially nothing in recent years. That being said, a day off from school is a day off from school, so Rod and I decided to use it as an opportunity to visit the small town of Moulay Idriss and the Roman ruins of Volubilis, both accessible from Meknes, a city forty minutes east of Fes.

Moulay Idriss takes its name from Moulay Idriss I, a descendent of the prophet Muhammad and the founder of the first real royal dynasty in Morocco in the late 700s. He lived in Volubilis, founded Fes and was buried in Moulay Idriss, which has since become one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Morocco. Huddled atop two adjacent hills, the town is peaceful and picturesque. Rod and I didn't mean to hire a guide, but sometimes these things just happen, and so we spent a relaxed hour or so trundling around after a skinny, smiling man in a brightly embroidered vest and Columbia brand sandals.

Volubilis is only five kilometers from Moulay Idriss and, given that the autumn here has been abnormally warm (70s-80s in the afternoon...), we decided to hoof our way over there on foot. The approach is nothing short of awesome: a swathe of columns and arches silhouetted against a fertile Middle Atlas plain...


Commended by the folks on the UNESCO World Heritage committee and the best preserved archaelogical site in Morocco, Volubilis dates back to the third century BCE, when it was settled by Carthiginian traders. It then became one of the most remote outposts of the Roman Empire, before falling under the control of Berber tribes, only to be overtaken by the Idrissid Dynasty. People continued to inhabit the city until the 18th century, when the appropriation of its stones for the building of a palace in Meknes and a run-in with the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 signaled its deterioration into "ruins" status.

Probably due to its abandonment having occurred so recently, Volubilis is in pretty darn good shape. It's big, covering almost 100 acres, and the structures contained within it -- an arch or two, foundations of houses, a temple, etc. -- are more or less discernible even to such inexpert eyes as mine. The most impressive element are the mosaics. A number of them can be found on what would have been the floors of upper-class houses: made of small, square, colored (by way of conservation efforts, one assumes...) stones, they depict both portraits and mythological scenes, like the twelve tasks of Hercules.

Wandering around the site was a highly visual reminder of Morocco's varied history and long-standing role as a bridger of cultures. Also, it made for some great photo-ops:

Attempting to look statuesque. Literally.

Slightly anachronistic reenactment of the Adam and God outstretched hands thing.

Mosaic of Hercules and the twelve tasks.