The Great Colonnade was situated along the main avenue of Apamea and ran for nearly , making it among the longest in the Roman world . It was rebuilt after the original , dating from the Seleucid Empire , was devastated along with the rest of Apamea in the 115 AD earthquake . Reconstruction started immediately 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 " . Starting at the city 's north gate , the colonnade ran in an uninterrupted straight line 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 colonnade passed through the centre 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 . On either side of the street a wide colonnade ran its full length . The columns were high and in diameter . They stood on square bases of 1.24 m on a side and 0.47 m high . The columns display two main designs : plain and distinctive spiral-flutes . Archaeologist Jean Lassus argues that the former dates back to the Trajanic period , while the latter to that of Antoninus Pius . The colonnade 's porticoes were paved with extensive mosaics along the full stretch of the colonnade
115 AD earthquake
115 Antioch earthquake
Apamea, Syria