Volubilis is an archaeological site in Morocco situated near Meknes and features the best preserved Roman ruins in this part of northern Africa.
The ancient city of Volubilis was an important Roman town situated near the westernmost border of Roman conquests and was the centre of the Roman province of Mauretania Tingitana.
The Romans began building the city of Volubilis ca. 40 AD in order to keep control of this north African region which was successively occupied by the Greeks, Berbers, Jews and Carthaginian merchants.
The basilica was build around 217 A.D.
The Romans evacuated most of Morocco at the end of the 3rd century AD but, unlike some other Roman cities, Volubilis was not abandoned.
People continued to live here for more than 1,000 years, until it was abandoned in the 18th century, after Volubilis’ structures were damaged by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.

In 1997 the site was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.