One of my favorite places to visit in Morocco was the Roman ruins at Volubilis located near Meknes between Fez and Rabat. One meaning for the name is “sculpture” and I can only guess that the place had lots of sculptures at one time since it was a small Roman city. I’ve also found that the name in Latin means “Morning Glory”. That seems to go along with what I was told by the “freelance guides” at the ruins. I visited Volubilis twice during my stay in Morocco. The first day was one of those perfect sky days; just a few clouds and a perfect sunset. The second trip was rainy and cloudy all day which allowed for high color saturation slides while shooting under an umbrella. I’ve mixed images here from both trips.

The area is really remote and I’m sure that it’s more of a tourist attraction now than when I visited.  There is beauty in the old stones and mosaics that still exist at the ruins.

I was told while visiting that the famous Roman Roads traversed northern Africa and Volubilis was one of the cities that could be reached. It’s easy to imagine how it might have looked almost two thousand years ago. You can see the outlines of all of the main buildings and many houses as well.

After researching the ruins, I discovered that much of the information that was shared (for a price) by the old men in the long hooded garments, was just folklore.  Oh well. They need to make a living too. Thank goodness for Wikipedia.

This is what’s left of the Capitol. I wonder what it looked like when more than just six rebuilt columns were standing. Part of the beauty of these ruins is the surrounding area of low mountains, lower hills and sweeping plains. Must have been a magnificent place to live. They even had running water, I was told. The shot below is part of the expansive aqueduct system, that was used to transport water throughout the city.

The ancient Romans used lots of what we would call modern technology but in a primitive sort of way. The engineering that would be needed for these structures is a reflection of what historians have referred to the Magnificent Wonders of Ancient Rome.

So, what Roman colony would be complete without a large Arch for an entry way. This and the starting image above is the Triumphal Arch. Yes, that’s what it’s called. Not sure what significance the name has but it really sounds impressive. Don’t you think so?

Here is another shot of the Capitol. I liked the glowing sky lighting behind the columns.

Before I did my research, I thought this was the remains of a temple with the raised platform below the steps being some kind of place of sacrifice. Your imagination can really run wild without good information.

I’ve included a few more images below. It’s the kind of place that can never be fully explored. You’ll probably run out of memory card space, or film as I did back then, before you can capture everything.

And last but not least, my favorite shot. A very Kodachromie, postcardish memory.