Great Colonnade at Apamea

Great Colonnade at Apamea

View of the colonnade
Shown within Syria
Location	Apamea, Syria
Coordinates	35°25′02″N 36°24′05″E / 35.4173°N 36.4015°E / 35.4173; 36.4015
Type	Colonnade
Length	2 kilometres (1.2 mi)
History
Material	Limestone
Periods	Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine
Site notes
Condition	restored
Ownership	Public
Public access	Yes

The Great Colonnade at Apamea was the main colonnaded avenue of the ancient city of Apamea in the Orontes River valley in northwestern Syria. It was built in the second century CE after Apamea's devastation in the 115 earthquake. The avenue, which ran for nearly 2 kilometres (1.2 mi), made up the city's north-south axis, or the cardo maximus. The monumental colonnade is among the longest and most famous in the Roman world.

The original Hellenistic colonnade was devastated, along with the rest of Apamea, in the 115 earthquake. Reconstruction started immediately under the Romans, and over the course of the second century the city was completely rebuilt, starting with the Great Colonnade.

The colonnade was aligned along the north-south axis, making up the city's cardo maximus under the Romans. Starting at the city's north gate, the colonnade ran in an uninterrupted straight line for almost 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) to the south gate. The northern third of the colonnade's stretch is marked by a monumental votive column that stood opposite the baths. The southern third, at around 1,500 metres (4,900 ft), is marked by the intersection with the city's main east-west axis, or the decumanus maximus. Two triple arches were built into the Great Colonnade as part of the intersection. The colonnade was further intersected by side streets at regular intervals of 110 metres (360 ft). The colonnade passed through the center of the city and several important buildings were clustered around it, including the baths, the agora, the Temple of Tyche, the nymphaeum, the rotunda, the atrium church and the basilica.