THE CARDO

Today, visitors can experience two distinct sections: an open-air archaeological trench where original monolithic limestone pillars, drainage gutters, and flagstones sit meters below modern street level, and a covered vaulted section where ancient storefront arches house contemporary Israeli art galleries, Judaica shops, and a full-scale reproduction of the Madaba mosaic.

The Cardo was the grand north-south thoroughfare and commercial spine of Jerusalem during the Roman and Byzantine periods. Originally laid out in the 2nd century CE under Emperor Hadrian when Jerusalem was rebuilt as the Roman colony Aelia Capitolina, it was later dramatically expanded southward in the 6th century CE under Byzantine Emperor Justinian I to connect the Church of the Holy Sepulchre with the Nea Church.