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The Kardo |
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The Cardo was a double-columned main thoroughfare that traversed
many Roman cities from north to south. Jerusalem’s Cardo starts at what is today
the Damascus Gate in the north, traversing the city southwards up to today’s Zion
Gate.
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Jerusalem’s Cardo is depicted in the Madaba Map, a highly detailed
mosaic map that was the floor of a Byzantine church in the town of Madaba, currently
in Jordan. The Madaba Map is the oldest known detailed cartographic representation
of Jerusalem.
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The northern section of the Cardo extends from today’s Damascus
Gate to David Street, and dates back to the Roman period. The southern section extends
from this point alongside the western side of the Jewish Quarter and was built during
the Byzantine period, in the 6th century AD.
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Excavations in the Jewish Quarter between Habad Street and The Street of the Jews
revealed irregular sections of the Byzantine Cardo for a length of 180 meters.
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The Cardo had an open central passageway for use by carriages and
animals, and was adorned on both sides with porticoed footways for pedestrian use.
The street is paved with slabs of stone and ha a width of 22.5 meters. In several
sections, domed shops were found to the side of the footway.
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In the southern section, buildings from later periods were removed and the Byzantine
Cardo level was revealed. Some of the columns were reconstructed and restored. It
is possible today to stroll through the Cardo in the same manner as Jerusalem’s
residents would have done in the sixth century AD.
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The Crusader bazaar, built in the twelfth century on top of the
Byzantine Cardo, was cleared from the northern section and a commercial center was
built. The shops in the modern commercial center offer a range of modern products,
but are steeped in history.
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A view of the open section, which is actually the entrance to the
Cardo, from one of the roofed shops at its southern end.
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The Site List
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