Ancient Roman Port District Unearthed in Morocco’s UNESCO Site

Researchers from the National Institute of Archaeological and Heritage Sciences (INSAP) have conducted excavations on the left bank of the Bouregreg River. During these excavations, they discovered the older ruins of the "first" ancient port district near Rabat. According to them, the region was first colonized by the Phoenicians and became a key outpost of the Roman Empire from the 2nd to the 5th century. The research team also discovered public baths "built at the latest at the beginning of the 2nd century AD", and which "already cover an area of about 2,000 m², which indicates that we are dealing with one of the largest thermal establishments of ancient Morocco", according to a presentation by the Ministry of Culture; a new necropolis dating back to the 2nd century AD; a section of the rampart of the ancient city; a statue of a woman - perhaps a deity or an empress - draped in fabric, the first statue of this type discovered in Morocco since the 1960s, as well as a limestone and solar brick district.

"This is an important discovery insofar as it is the first time that we have found remains attesting to the presence of an ancient port district in Morocco," said Abdelaziz El Khayari, professor of pre-Islamic archaeology at INSAP, during the presentation of these new discoveries to the press, adding that they had never been the subject of studies. He will add: "We still have not discovered the actual port".

For Mehdi Bensaid, Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, the location of the ruins, near the center of the Moroccan capital, would become an attraction for Moroccan and foreign tourists. Since March, his department has invested 455,000 euros. He plans to double this amount next year. The same exercise will continue each following year until the excavations are completed. "It’s something that can interest everyone," the minister said.

And he added: "Sites like Volubilis receive 500,000 visitors per year. We are aiming for 1 million by developing this site, by giving it life, by putting in place marketing, communication and everything."