Main Street (Cardo) from Above

A picture looking south at the central area of the ancient city of Perga.   In the center of the image is the Tetrapylon, the area where two main streets meet.  Running from right (west) to left (east), is the Decumanus.  Running from the bottom of the image away from the viewer (south) is the Cardo—the main street of the city.

The main street of Perge, the cardo, was close to 985 ft. [300 m.] long.  It ran from the *nymphaeum* on the north side of the city (bottom of the image) to the *Hellenistic City Gate* on the south side.

On both sides of the street note the standing columns.  Outside of them, were covered walkways and numerous shops.  The sixty-five-foot [20 m.] wide street is itself divided into two lanes by a six-foot [2 m.] channel (in the center of the image proceeding away from the viewer).  Freshwater flowed through this channel along the whole length of the street — from the *nymphaeum* to the Hellenistic Gate.  The barriers inside of this large channel (visible) must have created visual and audible "rapids-effect."

This street arrangement is very unique, although faint traces of similar street arrangements are said to have been found at Pisidian Antioch.

For a brief description of the biblical and historical significance of Perge click here.