The remains of an elaborate north-south colonnaded street known as the Cardo were found in the center of the Jewish Quarter, exactly as depicted in the Madaba map.
The southern part of the Cardo, uncovered in the Jewish Quarter, was built during the reign of the emperor Justinian (527-565), as a continuation of the earlier, Roman, northern part from the 2nd century AD, thus linking the two main churches of Byzantine Jerusalem; the Holy Sepulcher and the Nea Church.
Political/Cultural Significance
A Cardo Maximus was located in all Roman cities and military camps. It was the main north-south road that ran through the city and served as the center for the local economy. It was also the main branch for all other roads.
One can walk today along the reconstructed part of the Cardo, as did people some 1500 years ago. In the twelfth century, the Crusaders built a covered bazaar over a section of the Cardo; from this section, the debris of centuries has been removed and modern stores offer their wares to shoppers.
