 Roman ruins of Banasa: great occidentalthermae | |
  Colonia Iulia Valentia Banasa Shown within Morocco | |
| Location | Sidi Ali Boujenoun,Kénitra Province,Rabat-Salé-Kénitra,Morocco |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°36′06″N06°06′56″W / 34.60167°N 6.11556°W /34.60167; -6.11556 |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Builder | Augustus |
| Founded | Between 33 and 25 BC |
| Abandoned | Approximately 285 AD |
Iulia Valentia Banasa, corresponding to modern daySidi Ali Boujnoun (Arabic:سيدي علي بوجنون),[1] was aRoman-Berber city in northernMorocco. It was one of the threecolonias inMauretania Tingitana[2] founded by emperorAugustus between 33 and 25 BC for veterans of thebattle of Actium, on top of aMauretanian village. The site was in fact already occupied by the local Amazigh people from the 4th century BC, or perhaps earlier.[3]
Beautiful mosaics decorated the buildings and now most are shown at theRabat Archaeological Museum.[4] Four bathhouses were discovered in Banasa.[1]
Some of the other major Roman companion cities to Iulia Valentia Banasa of this early era areChellah andVolubilis, the latter of which shares the features of basilica and regular street pattern.[5]
Objects recovered at Banasa may be seen at the Rabat Archaeological Museum.[citation needed]
Today, Banasa is known for thezawiya of Sidi Ali Boujnoun. According to a local tradition, Sidi Ali Bujnoun (or Abu Jnun) belonged to theKhlut tribe and he came from the nearby city ofKsar el-Kebir "300 years ago" to teach the people of the areaQuran. He was attributed several miracle, most notably the ability to control non-Muslimjinn. The name "Boujnoun" (lit. 'Possessor/Controller of Jinn-induced Insanity') derives from this. He possibly inhabited the ruins of Banasa either because it made controlling jinn easier or so he could isolate himself for spiritual retreats. Today, many visitors from theGharb region come to thezawiya mostly for mental health-related issues.[6]
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Romano-Berber cities in Roman North Africa | ||
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Sorted by contemporary national borders | ||
| Morocco | %2c_Algeria_04966r.jpg) | |
| Algeria |
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| Tunisia | ||
| Egypt | ||
| Spain | ||
| Kingdoms and provinces | ||
| Related articles | ||
1 UNESCO World Heritage Sites2 Proposed | ||
| National | |
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| Geographic | |
| Other | |
