Cardo

A cardo is a central street common in ancient Roman cities (the "heart" of the city, derived from the same root as cardiology). The cardo served as the center of economic life, the street usually lined with shops, merchants, and vendors.

Cardo of Jerusalem

The Cardo in the Old City of Jerusalem is one good example. After Israel was conquered by Rome and renamed Palestine, Jerusalem was Romanized and its new city plan featured a long collonated cardo running from north to south, date from the time of Emperor Justinian in the 6th century AD. The cardo is still a street in modern Jerusalem.

Perhaps the most famous ancient map of Jerusalem, a 6th century mosaic map found in a church flor in Medeba, Jordan, portrays the cardo as the central axis of the city.

Cardo of Petra

The excavations at Petra in Jordan have unearthed the remains of an ancient Roman city on the site, with the main feature of the city being a collonated cardo. The original road survives.