Ancient Volubilis was a distant outpost of the Roman Empire, its ruins today constituting a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This partly-excavated Berber-Roman city in modern-day Morocco is situated near the present-day imperial city of Meknes. Built in a fertile agricultural area, Volubilis developed from the 3rd century BC onward, initially as a Berber settlement before becoming capital of the kingdom of Mauretania. Volubilis grew rapidly under Roman rule from the 1st century AD onward and expanded to cover about 42 hectares with a 2.6 km 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, derived largely from olive growing, enabled the construction of many fine town-houses with large mosaic floors.

Volubilis fell to local tribes around 285 and was never retaken by Rome. It continued to be inhabited for at least another 700 years, first as a Latinised Christian community, then as an early Islamic settlement. [Source: Wikipedia]

Nearby Moulay Idriss spreads across two hilltops and is surrounded by olive and almond trees. It is famous as the site of the tomb of Idris I, the first major Islamic ruler of Morocco, after whom the town is named. Idris's tomb remains a pilgrimage site which non-Muslims may not enter. Another imposing mausoleum for Moulay Idriss also stands in Meknes.