Cardo

A picture looking north along the main street of Perge, the cardo, that was close to 985 ft. [300 m.] long.  It ran from the nymphaeum on the north side of the city 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.