The ruins of ancient Lix are one of Morocco's major historical sites, located north of the seaport of Larache, on the right bank of the Wadi Luccus River.
The oldest structures that have been found in this country are the ruins of Phoenician colonies. The oldest of them is considered to be Lix, founded in 1146 B.C. Around this time the Phoenicians built other trading cities on the African coast of the Mediterranean Sea, which became important ports. The Phoenicians needed the city of Lix as a base on the approach to the silver mines of Spain, as well as for sailing to the island of Madeira and the Canaries, from where they took the dyes for their world-famous purple fabrics.
Afterwards, the Phoenician colonies became part of Carthage. After some time, Carthage fell into decline, then Lix became part of the Roman Empire and an outpost of the Roman province. Today, Lix is a ruins of ancient buildings and picturesque nature. Almost no research and excavations have been carried out here.
In Lix you can see the preserved ruins of the amphitheatre of the first century, which could accommodate more than one hundred people. Behind the theatre are well-preserved thermae with amazing mosaics. In the very centre of one of the largest and most beautiful mosaic inserts is the god Neptune, whose image, much to the dismay of the city, has fallen victim to vandals. In the centre of the city is a very ancient Christian basilica.
On the ocean side you can see large stone blocks that have a mysterious and enigmatic appearance - they are monstrously huge monoliths at the base of the ocean breakwater. A little further on is a covered dolmen hanging on the steep. At low tide, the individual rectangular monolithic blocks of the ancient harbour walls can be seen on the gentle ocean floor.
If we imagine what Lix looked like 2000 years ago, we can say without a doubt that it was one of the most powerful and beautiful cities of antiquity.
