Iulia Valentia Banasa

34°36′06″N 06°06′56″W / 34.60167°N 6.11556°W / 34.60167; -6.11556TypeSettlementHistoryBuilderAugustusFoundedBetween 33 and 25 BCAbandonedApproximately 285 AD

Iulia Valentia Banasa was a Roman-Berber city in northern Morocco. It was one of the three colonias in Mauretania Tingitana^[1] founded by emperor Augustus between 33 and 25 BC for veterans of the battle of Actium, on top of a Mauretanian village. The site was in fact already occupied by the local Amazigh people from the 4th century BC, or perhaps earlier.^[2]

Characteristics

Beautiful mosaics decorated the buildings and now most are shown at the Rabat archeological museum^[3]

Some of the other major Roman companion cities to Iulia Valentia Banasa of this early era are Chellah and Volubilis, the latter of which shares the features of basilica and regular street pattern.^[4]

Objects recovered at Banasa may be seen at the Rabat Archaeological Museum.

Gallery

• 
  Roman ruins of Banasa: thermae with fresco
• 
  Stone written in Latin
• 
  Section of Roman column
• 
  View of Banasa ruins
• 
  View of the Roman Forum and Basilica

See also

• Iulia Campestris Babba
• Iulia Constantia Zilil
• Lixus
• Mauretania Tingitana
• Rusadir
• Sala Colonia
• Tamuda
• Thamusida
• Tingis
• Volubilis

References

^[5]

Bibliography

• William Seston & Maurice Euzennat, « La citoyenneté romaine au temps de Marc Aurèle et de Commode, d'après la Tabula Banasitana », CRAI, 105-2, 1961, p. 317-324

External links

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