Volubilis (Arabic: وليلي) is a partly excavated Roman city in Morocco situated near Meknes between Fes and Rabat. Built in a very fertile agricultural area, it was developed from the 3rd century BC onwards as a Phoenician/Carthaginian settlement. It grew rapidly under Roman rule from the 1st century AD onwards and expanded to cover an area of about 40 hectares (99 acres) with a 2.6 km (1.6 mi) circuit of walls. The city gained a number of major public buildings in the 2nd century, including a basilica, temple and triumphal arch. Its prosperity, which was derived principally from olive growing, prompted the construction of many fine town-houses with large mosaic floors.
The town fell to local tribesmen around 285 but was never retaken by Rome due to its remoteness and indefensibility on the south-western border of the Roman Empire. It continued to be inhabited for at least another 700 years, first as a Latinised Christian community, then as an early Islamic settlement. In the late 8th century the Idrisid dynasty, traditionally seen as the founders of Morocco, was founded there. By the 11th century Volubilis had been abandoned with the seat of power relocated to Fes and much of the local population had been transferred to the new town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from Volubilis.
The ruins of Volubilis remained substantially intact until they were devastated by an earthquake in the mid-18th century and by Moroccan rulers subsequently looting the site for stone to reuse in building Meknes. It was not until the latter part of the 19th century that the site was definitively identified as that of the ancient city of Volubilis. During and after the period of French rule over Morocco, a large part of the site was excavated, revealing many fine mosaics, and some of the more prominent public buildings and high-status houses were restored or reconstructed. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed for being "an exceptionally well preserved example of a large Roman colonial town on the fringes of the Empire".
Read more about Volubilis: Foundation and Roman Occupation, After The Romans, Excavation, Restoration and UNESCO Listing, City Layout and Infrastructure, Notable Buildings in Volubilis