Argo

France - 02-Mar-24 -

Lixus is claimed one of the oldest settlements of the western Mediterranean antique world – although just “off” the Gibraltar straight, facing the Atlantic Ocean. It was first a Phoenician trade city and was later occupied by Romans and then successive civilisations until Middle-Age. Though as often with this kind of sites, the remains you get to see are mainly from the Roman period. The archaeological site lays on a hillside and top above one of the last meanders of the Loukkos river, overlooking both the plain and the Atlantic Ocean, which makes an enjoyable and strategic location. For those interested in Greek mythology, and Herakles’ twelve works in particular, this would have been the legendary land of the Hesperides garden – the glittering and meandering river acting as the snake, keeper of the garden, and the golden apples being oranges. Who knows?

A visit to the site would start at the recently (2019) opened site museum, providing a good and necessary introduction (there is very few information on the site itself). Lixus was important as a Phoenician trading post, then at the Roman times, as an “industrial” centre for production of salted fish (then exported in amphoras) and “garum”, a highly praised condiment at that time. It was as well a production centre for red dye, extracted from murex sea shells. The original artefacts are to be seen at the Rabat archaeological museum, and the mosaics at the Tetouan archaeological museum (we visited the two of them during that same trip to Morocco, they are small but very well presented (so you do not get bored) and cheap – so no reasons to miss them while ticking these two WHS cities).

Off the site museum, the path first leads at the foot of the hill to see the fish treatment area (logically situated in the lower part of the site, close to the river). Nowadays it is mainly a series of tanks dug in the ground. Then it goes up the hill, passing an hybrid half-theatre and half-amphitheatre and baths on the way, up to the residential area with nobles’ homes and kinds of palaces. Views are great to the river, the ocean and the modern city of Larache in the background. There is an Hellenistic wall as well, which is probably the most important non-roman remain you can see during the tour.

We really enjoyed that visit. The weather was bright and warm in February (there is no shadow on the site, so visiting during summer would just be a “no go” for us!), it is easy to understand the functions of the different buildings you visit and the location is great. The experience is however a “one more Roman settlement” : if you want to see Phoenician or Punic remains, you’d better go to Mothia in Sicily. The museum emphasis the “industrial” fisheries as one of the most important in the whole Roman empire, but this part of the site is not so impressive for modern day visitor. Still, the access from the Rabat-to-Tanger motorway is very quick and easy and makes it a good break on that journey. After that visit, we had a nice lunch and walk in nearby Asilah city, which is well worth the visit as well.