Every few hours as we drove around Morocco our guide stopped to show us a hidden gem.  On our way to Fes we winded down a small road, and came to the ruins of Volubilis.  The Romans built this city in 3BC, and it had been part of the kingdom of Mauretania.  At a later stage it was also the capital of Morocco.

The ruins are now  recognised by UNESCO and significant work has been done to restore the area.

Starting at the bottom of the hill were smaller houses for the poorer people and shared bathing areas with running water.

Closer to the top of the hill are the larger houses of the more affluent members of the city, which contained ornate mosaics, columned atriums, running water and heating and cooling systems.

Many of the mosaics still exist, and by throwing a handful of water on them, our guide showed the brightness of the original tiles that covered the floors.