Great Colonnade at Palmyra

The Great Colonnade at Palmyra is the principal paved, colonnaded avenue of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria, forming the main east-west thoroughfare of the Roman-period city.

A long, raised paved street is lined with rows of columns, monumentally scaled gateways and side streets leading to markets, temples and civic buildings; the avenue linked major monuments such as the Temple of Bel and the Tetrapylon. Archaeological remains of the colonnade and associated features show the urban layout and scale of Palmyra during the Roman imperial period.

Most of the colonnade visible today belongs to Roman construction phases of the 2nd century AD when Palmyra rose as a major caravan city under Roman rule. The site sustained substantial damage during the Syrian conflict in the 2010s, affecting many of its monuments and prompting international documentation and conservation efforts.

The colonnade runs through the archaeological site of Palmyra in the Syrian Desert, east of the city of Homs, and is approached from the modern site’s visitor areas.

• Length: The colonnaded avenue runs for roughly 1.1 kilometres through the urban core of ancient Palmyra and was the city's principal ceremonial and commercial street.

What to See #

• Tetrapylon: A monumental crossroads marked by a group of four sets of columns, forming a prominent sculptural feature at the intersection of the colonnaded avenue.
• Temple of Bel: Ancient temple dedicated to the local god Bel, located near the eastern end of the colonnade and forming a major ceremonial focus of the site.