Downhill from the Theatre, the Colonnaded Street marks Petra’s city centre. The street was built around AD 106 and follows the standard Roman pattern of an east–west decumanus , but without the normal cardo maximus (north–south axis). Columns of marble-clad sandstone originally lined the 6m-wide carriageway, and covered porticoes gave access to shops.
At the start of the Colonnaded Street is the Nymphaeum , a public fountain built in the 2nd century AD and fed by water channelled from the Siq. Little can be seen today, although it’s recognisable by the huge 450-year-old pistachio tree, giving welcome shade in summer.
Also along the Colonnaded Street are the limited remains of the market area and the unrecognisable ruins of the Royal Palace .
The street ends at the Temenos Gateway . Built in the 2nd century AD, the gateway originally had huge wooden doors and side towers. It marked the entrance to the temenos (sacred courtyard) of the Qasr al-Bint, separating the commercial area of the city from the sacred area of the temple. Look closely for the few remaining floral friezes and a figure with an arrow, which suggest that this was once a very grand structure. Opposite are the minimal ruins of the Nabataean baths .
