Volubilis ( Walili) is a partly excavated Amazigh then Roman city in Morocco situated near Meknes between Fes and Rabat and commonly considered as the ancient capital of the kingdom of Mauritania. Built in a fertile agricultural area, it was developed from the 3rd century BC onwards as an Amazigh then protoCarthaginian settlement before being the capital of the kingdom of Mauritania. It grew rapidly under Roman rule from the 1st century AD onwards and expanded to cover about with a circuit of walls. The city gained a number of major public buildings in the 2nd century, including a basilica, temple and triumphal arch. Its prosperity, which was derived principally from olive growing, prompted the construction of many fine town-houses with large mosaic floors.