Fez and Volubilis: Rain and Ruins

Last weekend, I visited Fez and Volubilis, an archaeological site of Roman ruins near Meknes. We took a grand taxi to Fez in the morning. Unfortunately, we had to wait for about an hour and a half (in the rain) before one came. When we got to Fez, we met up with friends of Kim, one of the other exchange students. We spent most of our time in Fez in the Old Medina, shopping for souvenirs for family and friends.

I have acquired quite a scarf collection since arriving in Morocco...

We also found turtles!

And of course, shoes! I still want to get a pair before I leave, but can't decide which kind I like best!

At one point, an important looking man walked by with quite an entourage. A shop owner told me his name, but all I can remember is that he is a Berber leader. 

There is never a shortage of cats in Morocco...

We ate camel sandwiches for lunch. They are one of my favorite foods that I've had in Morocco. And only 20 dirhams! :) 

The next morning, we introduced Kim's friends to mesemen (sp?) and honey at our favorite cafe, right inside the gate to the Old Medina. They loved it! :)

We took the train to Meknes, then a taxi to Volubilis. Our driver was awesome! He bought us candy and practiced his English with us. Also, his musical selection was impressive and included Hotel California and a few Tracy Chapman songs. We wandered around Volubilis for about an hour and a half. The city was built on a Carthagian settlement in the 3rd Century BC. The area was very fertile and provided numerous exports (including olives) to Rome. Also, there was a fairly large Berber population in the city. When the French settled in Volubilis, they removed all of the remnants of Berber occupation. During the 18th Century, the town was partially destroyed when building materials were taken for the Moulay Ismail palace in Meknes.

According to a friend, the arches were built to celebrate the arrival of the Roman king, who never ended up visiting the town. One of my friends who visited with his class pointed out that there is a clear distinction between the Roman city, which is a clearly delineated grid, as opposed to the more ancient city, which is constructed in a more haphazard fashion.

A woman and her daughter asked us to take pictures with them as we headed out. 

Garrett picked a bouquet of flowers for Rebecca! :) 

On the way back to Meknes, our taxi driver brought us to Moulay Idriss, a town named for the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. Moulay Idriss came to Morocco in the 8th Century AD from Mecca, where he was persecuted by the caliph. He is considered Morocco's holiest saint and settled in Volubilis to covert locals to Islam. We visited the shrine, but non-Muslims could only view it from behind a bar across the entrance.