Zilis (Asilah)
Zilil
Mauretanian to Late Roman (4th c BCE–7th c CE; peak 1st–3rd c CE)·Mauri / Phoenician / Roman·🇲🇦 Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima, Morocco
About
About Zilis (Asilah)
Zilis (Zilil, Dchar Jdid) 12 km south of Asilah is Augustus' colonia Iulia Constantia Zilil — Maurusia Tingitana's purple-dye and fish-salting city on the Atlantic littoral. Punic stelae and Mauretanian tumuli underlie Augustan rectilinear grid with Capitol, bath with mosaic of Oceanus, baptistery, late fort with ditch, and chain of garum ceti 50 m from shore with opus signinum tanks still stained purple. Border of Juba II's kingdom before annexation 40 CE.
Why it mattersAtlantic Tingitana colonization model; garum chemistry from murex residues links to classical purple reference.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether Juba II founded or Augustus
- 02Murex vs whale product in tanks
Theories
- 01Zilis as Tingis' rival within Augustan triad Zilis-Babba-Banasa urban marketing
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- Moorish town 4th c BCE; Augustan colonia 25 BCE under Juba II patronage?; Dchar Jdid phase
- Period
- Mauretanian to Late Roman (4th c BCE–7th c CE; peak 1st–3rd c CE)
- Culture
- Mauri / Phoenician / Roman
- Builders
- Mauretanian / Augustan colonists
- Purpose
- Atlantic purple-dye and garum emporium on Asilah headland
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
Moorish town 4th c BCE; Augustan colonia 25 BCE under Juba II patronage?; Dchar Jdid phase
Initial construction
c. 1354 CE
Abandonment
On the ground
Structures & features
35.4667° N · 6.0333° W · 35 m · 3 mapped features
Baths with Oceanus Mosaic
bathBath block with Oceanus and Tritons mosaic
35.4670° N · 6.0330° WGarum Cetariae
industrialPurple-dye fish-salting tanks by shore
35.4660° N · 6.0340° WCapitolium
templeCapitoline podium overlooking forum
35.4667° N · 6.0335° W