Roman Colonnaded Street

Site description: the planning system during the Roman period was unified for the cities, based on two colonnaded streets that intersect in the middle; the main street faces north-south and is called "Cardo," and the other street is known as "Decumanus," and heads east-west. The city's neighborhoods and buildings were focused and distributed around these two streets. In Sebastia, the topography of the city forced the Roman planners to suffice with a single street, extending from west to east, starting from the western gate of the city; it is a massive gate that was protected by two high stone towers on its right and left, ending with the eastern entrance of the city that has not yet been discovered. The street is about 800 meters, including approximately 600 stone columns cut from the local limestone.The column with the crown height is 5.50 m, in addition to the ceiling cornice. All these columns are decorated and carved according to the Corinthian style, which adopts the cylindrical body of the column and the decoration of the crown in the form of Artichoke leaves; these columns were lined up parallel to the right and left of the street paved with stone tiles. The width of the road between the two rows of columns is 12.50 m, and it was designated for horse-drawn carriages; Each row of columns carried a portico that preceded a row of multi-purpose shops along both ends of the street, while the two entrances were designated for the passage of residents. The function of the colonnaded road is to secure communication with the parts of the city and a commercial market for the city and its surroundings. Many street columns are still standing tall in their places, while some have been moved to different locations.