Agora Promenade

Though the street is ten meters long, there is scarcely enough space to walk through the center of Iskendra—the Agora Promenade. On each side of the street, a covered colonnade houses permanent shops and businesses, while produce vendors cram the sidewalks. You see carts selling pomegranates, oranges, dates, chickpeas, pears, grapes. Butchers hawk the usual pork, beef, lamb, and fowl. Street vendors turn spits of kabobs loaded with spiced vegetables, goat, and falafel. You see a large area sectioned off just to sell fine ceramics, each intricately painted and molded into a thousand different styles and shapes. Fishmongers argue with one another over who has the best eels, crabs, sardines, and tuna. Above your head, the street is covered by the occasional canvas tarp to keep the sun off the merchandise. Yet this fails to stop the occasional stray rat, pidgeon or feral monkey from grabbing a loose apple. You smell fresh linens, dyes, and perfumes alongside pungent cheeses, saffron, and paprika jars. And every so often you spy a woman selling magic charms and warding signs—though you can’t be certain as to their effectiveness. At the center of the Promenade, the Agora’s largest streets intersect. Here a massive column rises to the heavens some fifty-feet, the Princess Column. The column is spiraled and depicts the journey of a woman across deserts and mountains. The higher carvings are too difficult to make out from the ground, though it is clear that a statue of an eagle grasping a sun disk tops the pillar’s pinnacle.

—Wyford of Heathmere's "A Tour of Old Palladia"

Purpose / Function

The Agora Promenade is the famous market square of Iskendra. The space houses both permanent and rotating stalls. Almost anything can be found here, apart from large goods that require more delicate shipping. The streets are strictly commercial, with no buildings officially allocated for private housing or workshops. The streets are cleared for official military processions, and the intersection of the streets lies the Princess Column.

Alterations

A large temple marks the end of each part of the Agora Promenade.

To the northeast lies the temple of Porcia, named the Cathedral of Mother’s Spring.

To the southwest, at the main entrance along the Viama Tolokos from the Elephant Gate, lies the temple to Qingu, named the Keep of the St. Hasdrubal.

To the northwest, at the edge of Fisherman’s Wharf, lies the temple to Zwakhasis, the St. Sebastea’s Forge.

To the southeast, towards the low hills of Port Kananes, lies the temple to Balan. This temple is named the Church of the Unchained Crane.

Architecture

The Agora Promenade is a long four-way intersection spanning the equivalent of five blocks in each direction. The space is partially covered and houses both permanent and rotating stalls. The Agora consists of a vast portico-lined piazza measuring 300 m (980 ft.) long and 185 m (607 ft.) wide, with exedrae on two sides. The main entrance is at the north end of the piazza, which was cobbled with rectangular blocks of white marble and decorated by a large equestrian statue of Princess Salama astride her famous giant almiraj. On either side of the piazza are markets, also housed by the exedrae. The main part of the Forum was a large open space about 300 feet by 380 feet. However, this open area is now essentially a meandering, crowded labyrinth of wooden stalls with the sunlight from above filtered through dozens of linen awnings.

History

The Princess Column was added during the late Palladian Era. It depicts the story of Princess Salama, the Temekanian royal who was said to journey across Nioa to found Ilusukon, which then became Iskendra. The Agora was originally a field where it is said the Princess's body was cremated by her two children following her death.

Type

Market square

Parent Location

Iskendra