Mosque Name: Volubilis Mosque
Country: Morocco
City: Walīla
Year of construction (AD): 800 - 899
GPS: 34.072221 -5.555805
Gibson Classification: Unknown
Description:
The name of Volubilis is known both from the ancient texts and from the epigraphy of the town. It probably derives from the Berber word ‘Oualili’, the name of the Oleander plant, a flower that grows in abundance near the oued Khoumane. In Arab sources and on the early Arab coinage of the site the name was changed back to ‘Walila’. From the nineteenth century onwards the ruins were known as ‘Ksar Faraoun’, the castle of the Pharaohs. A possible mosque has been found, but since no mihrab was evident, there was hesitation to call it a mosque.
![Sketch of the city. Note the Arab quarter on the left (west side)](/media/01explore/05CitiesSites/Volubilis%20City.jpg)
Sketch of the city. Note the Arab quarter on the left (west side)
References:
Eustache, Daniel, 1956. “Monnaies musulmanes trouvées a Volubilis”, Hespéris 25: 133-197, p. 134 and footnote 2. http://www.hesperis-tamuda.com/fr/index.php/archives/archives-1959-1950/131-hesperis-tamuda-1956
Fenwick, Corisande, 2013. “From Africa to Ifrīqiya: Settlement and Society in Early Medieval North Africa (650-800)”, al-Masāq 25(1): 9-33.
Fentress, Elizabeth, Fenwick, Corisande, and Hassan Limane, no date. “Walila: From the Awraba to the Merinids. UCL-INSAP Volubilis Project 2018-2019”, https://www.sitedevolubilis.org/www/english/about/currentresearch.htm.
Page Discussion
Membership is required to comment. Membership is free of charge and available to everyone over the age of 16. Just click SignUp, or make a comment below. You will need a user name and a password. The system will automatically send a code to your email address. It should arrive in a few minutes. Enter the code, and you are finished.
Members who post adverts or use inappropriate language or make disrespectful comments will have their membership removed and be barred from the site. By becoming a member you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy, Cookies & Ad Policies. Remember that we will never, under any circumstances, sell or give your email address or private information to anyone unless required by law. Please keep your comments on topic. Thanks!