Roman roads in Morocco

Roman roads in Morocco were the western roads of Roman Africa.

Late-19th-century reconstruction of Roman roads in Morocco. Thamusida = Colonia Iulia Campestris Babba, Aelia = Iulia Valentia Banasa, Arzeila = Iulia Constantia Zilil (for a more recent map, look under External links)

Characteristics

In 42 AD the western part of the kingdom of Mauretania was reorganized as a province of Rome Mauretania Tingitana. During the reign of emperor Claudius (41–54) infrastructure was improved.

A road leading in the southern direction from Tingis split in two at Ad Mercuri (possibly modern Bled Mers[1]).

One of the two followed the Atlantic coast through Iulia Constantia Zilil (Asilah), Lixus (Larache) and Sala Colonia (near Rabat).

The other, more to the east, ended in Tocolosida, near Volubilis and modern Fez.

There is the possibility that a Roman road was built toward south, from Sala Colonia to Anfa (or Anfus), in the area of modern Casablanca, where there was a small port used by the Phoenicians and later the Romans since 15 BC.[2] This port was used for Roman expeditions toward the Canary islands.

There was another important road that connected Tingis with Numidia (modern western Algeria). It ran from Tamuda to Numerus Syrorum.[3]

Main Roman roads in western north Africa

Settlement roads
Roman road in Volubilis

In ancient Morocco significant roads existed within some of the Roman settlements themselves.

For example, wide roads paved with large hewn stones are found in the cities of Volubilis and Sala Colonia.

Notes
  1. Euzennat, M. "Map 28 Mauretania Tingitana" (PDF). princeton.edu. Retrieved Jan 2, 2021.
  2. Michael Dumper, Bruce E. Stanley, Cities of the Middle East and North Africa: a historical encyclopedia, ABC-CLIO, 2000, p. 115
  3. Septimius Severus road in Mauretania Tingitana (in Italian)

Sources
  • M. Euzennat. 1962. "Les voies romaines du Maroc dans l' Itineraire d' Antonin," Hommages à Albert Grenier (Brussels) vol. II, 595-610.
Roman roads in Morocco in the Peutinger table

See also


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