Highways in Jerusalem

Two longitudinal streets were built in Jerusalem, the western and the eastern, which crossed the city from north to south. The streets, known as cardines (the singular, cardo, means “hinge”), were built as early as the Roman period, and led southward from the Damascus Gate. During the Byzantine period the streets were extended farther south, along almost the same route used to this day.

In the picture: The eastern cardo, which passed close to the Western Wall of the Temple Mount, was excavated in the early 2000s by Dr. Alexander Onn and Dr. Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah. The street was about 25 m wide with shops hewn from the bedrock along it. The portion seen in the picture was built as early as the Late Roman period during the time of Emperor Hadrian, but its continuation toward the City of David was built in the Byzantine period, apparently during the time of Emperor Justinian.