Roman roads in Morocco
Roman roads in Morocco were the western roads of Roman Africa.
Characteristics edit
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 (Dchar Jdid),[2] 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.[3] This port was used for Roman expeditions toward the Canary islands.
There was another important road that connected Mauretania Tingitana with Mauretania Caesariensis (modern western Algeria). It ran from Tamuda to Numerus Syrorum.[4]
See also edit
Notes edit
- ^ Euzennat, M. "Map 28 Mauretania Tingitana" (PDF). princeton.edu. Retrieved Jan 2, 2021.
- ^ Georges Depeyrot. Zilil: recherches archéologiques franco-marocaines à Dchar Jdid, Colonia Iulia Constantia Zilil. Boccard.
- ^ Michael Dumper, Bruce E. Stanley, Cities of the Middle East and North Africa: a historical encyclopedia, ABC-CLIO, 2000, p. 115
- ^ Septimius Severus road in Mauretania Tingitana (in Italian)
Sources edit
- M. Euzennat. 1962. "Les voies romaines du Maroc dans l' Itineraire d' Antonin," Hommages à Albert Grenier (Brussels) vol. II, 595-610.
External links edit
- Diplomatie France (updated map) Les voies antiques du Maroc d’après l’Itinéraire Antonin (retrieved November 17, 2012) [1]
- Mauretania Tingitana (in Spanish)