Volubilis Roman Ruins

The best-preserved Roman ruins in North Africa -- a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997 -- Volubilis was founded in the 3rd century BC by the Berber Mauretanian kingdom and became the most remote provincial capital of the Roman Empire, producing olive oil and grain for Rome at the edge of the known world. Its 2nd-century AD triumphal arch, Capitoline temple, and 30 houses with intact mosaic floors survived because the 1755 Lisbon earthquake largely spared this city while destroying most other Roman sites in the region. It draws 200,000 visitors annually, outperforming the average Roman site in North Africa by 50%, and retains 90% of its original mosaic coverage, which is 40% more than the runner-up site similar to #3 Todra Gorge's preservation advantage.