Rabat, April 22 -- Morocco's Minister of Culture Mohamed Laaraj has overseen the opening of a new museum at Lixus, an ancient Phoenician archeological site dating to the 12th century B.C.

The Ministry of Culture opened the new facility on Saturday, April 20 .

Built in the 12th century B.C. by Phoenicians and regarded as one of the oldest urban centers in North Africa, Lixus has undergone restoration and is now open to the public along with a visitor center.

The Roman empire captured the Phoenician settlement in the 1st century B.C. With the Roman empire's decline, the Amazigh (Berber) people lived at Lixusz from the 5th to the 7th centuries A.D. before it was completely abandoned, according to the World Monuments Fund.

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