On the banks of the Loukkos River, 7 km from Larache on the Rabat-Tangier road and just 20 minutes from La Fiermontina Ocean, lies Lixus, the oldest city in Morocco, where the remnants of time and the whisper of the Atlantic wind intertwine myth and reality. According to the Greeks, the mythical Garden of the Hesperides, with the tree bearing golden apples that Hercules conquered by deceiving the titan Atlas, once stood here. Founded by the Phoenicians around the 8th century BC – though tradition suggests it dates back to 1100 BC – Lixus was a hub of commerce and culture. Its name, "Maqqom Chemech," meant "Place of the Sun." Ivory, exotic hides, and ostrich feathers were traded, fabrics dyed with precious Phoenician purple were made, and the famous garum (fish sauce) was refined. The city went through various periods: from the Mauritanian rule, when it was enriched with temples and palaces, to its Roman heyday under Emperor Claudius, who turned Lixus into a thriving colony with amphitheaters, baths, and basilicas. Its garum industry became the largest in the entire Mediterranean. Between the 4th century and the Islamic period, the city continued to flourish, leaving traces of its grandeur in homes, mosques, and ceramics uncovered by archaeologists. Today, it remains an intriguing enigma, a hidden treasure, with only 20% of its excavations having been uncovered. Walking through its ruins is like embarking on a journey through time, from the solitary caves of the only Roman amphitheater in Morocco to the grand residences of the garum lords. The visit begins at the modern Heritage Interpretation Center, a gateway to a distant world. Through the industrial district, where fish was processed for imperial tables, you ascend the hill to the residential area, with its houses adorned with mosaics of rare beauty. Finally, you reach the summit, where the palatial complex of the ancient city once stood, dominating the surrounding landscape as a silent witness to a glorious past.
