Volubilis, Oualili in Arabic, is the largest and best-preserved Roman ruins in all of Morocco. The Romans settled the site around 40 AD. Volubilis was built atop a much earlier Carthaginian outpost. The ancient city once housed a population of 20,000 and stretched over 40 hectares. Volubilis served as the administrative center of the Roman province Mauretania Tingitana. It was a breadbasket of the Roman Empire; wheat flourished in a then cooler climate and was shipped throughout the dominion. Unlike other Roman settlements in Morocco, such as Lixus, Volubilis wasn't abandoned with the fall of Rome. The city was inhabited until the 11th century and its residents - Berbers, Greeks, Syrians and Jews - spoke Latin up to the arrival of Idris I in 789. Yet what makes Volubilis, a World Heritage Site since 1997, a must see for families are the in situ mosaics and well-excavated ruins. The most notable remains include a forum, basilica, triumphal arch and capital. The best mosaics are found in the House of Orpheus, House of the Ephebus and Cortege of Venus.
The Roman province of Mauretania Tingitana covered present-day Morocco north of the Atlas Mountains. It was annexed into the Roman Empire upon the death of the Ptolemy in 40 AD and remained under Rome's control until overrun by the Vandals in 429 AD. Mauretania Tingitana exported a variety of goods throughout the empire including purple dyes, valuable wood, agricultural products, and wild animals. Its capital was Tingis, known today as Tangier.
Online maps are a great travel planning resource and a great way to get the kids involved in a family vacation. Map the imperial cities - Marrakesh, Fez, Meknes and Rabat - as well as Berber villages, desert oasis and mountain ranges. Use online maps to pinpoint your family travel destination and get a lay of the land.
Books are a great way to introduce young children to a new adventure and get teens and tweens ready for a family trip. We've compiled a list of books about Morocco and books by Moroccan authors for children of various ages and with varying interests. What better why to begin a journey that a trip through literature?
Moroccan music is a web of rhythm and sound. And it comes in a variety of forms. Arab-Andalusian music, a classical tradition imported from Muslim Spain, combines rhythm, vocals and instrumentals in complicated musical structure called nawbat or harmonic modes. Berber music, played at weddings, festivals and tribal gatherings, are poems and tales told through song. Moroccan popular music is rooted in Arabic style but influenced by African, Western and all forms of Moroccan music.
Read Moroccan newspapers online and, in addition to brushing up on Moroccan current events, find out what's happening from Casablanca to Tamegroute and discover what Moroccans are reading about.
Online resources make learning lots of fun. Learn about Ibn Battuta, an explorer from Tangier, and take a virtual tour with this 14th century traveler. Map the routes followed by Ibn Battuta and Marco Polo and compare the two. View images of daily life and discover the Moroccan culture. Get fun facts about Morocco. Test your knowledge before you depart and again when you return. Print the information you find fascinating and take it with you on your family trip. Explain your findings to your family members and use the things you learn to make your travel journal really cool.
Associations and non-profit organizations are a valuable resource as well as means to get involved. Find out more about a few of the organizations working to preserve the Amazigh Berber culture as well as those working to conserve Morocco's national treasures.