Since the days of Ancient Rome, the “Cardo” has been the name of the city's main street. It always runs from north to south and lies perpendicular to the Decumanus Street (“West – East”). What remained of the Roman Cardo in Jerusalem was discovered only in 1948, during the reconstruction of the Jewish Quarter after the destruction inflicted by the Jordanians.
Cardo Street ran along the Temple Mount. Today, this site is home to an archaeological park better known as the “Davidson Center.” An interesting fact: in 2001, a meeting was supposed to take place there between then Prime Minister of Israel Ariel Sharon and the leader of the French-Jewish community. For this occasion, unprecedented security measures were taken: the site was surrounded by a triple security cordon, and the main headquarters of the security service was located right on Cardo Street. And imagine the guards' surprise when two Arab teenagers climbed out of a well right under their noses!
The thing is that beneath Cardo Street runs a sewage tunnel built by the ancient Romans 19 centuries ago. Israeli police walked through it and ended up several hundred meters from that well - deep inside the Arab village of Silwan. Because of this incident, the prime minister's meeting was moved to a place that was less historic and more predictable. And this tunnel, like many other tunnels of Jerusalem, was sealed off with iron grates and fitted with surveillance sensors.
