Main Street is the main arterial street

Street

A street is a paved public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, but is more often paved with a hard, durable...

 in the British overseas territory

British overseas territories

The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...

 of Gibraltar

Gibraltar

Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...

.

Main Street is recognised today as Gibraltar’s main commercial and shopping district. It runs north–south through the old town which is pedestrianised and lined with buildings displaying a blend of Genoese

Genoa

Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....

, Portuguese

Architecture of Portugal

Architecture of Portugal refers to the architecture practised in the territory of present-day Portugal since before the foundation of the country in the 12th century...

, Andalusian

Spanish architecture

Spanish architecture refers to architecture carried out in any area in what is now modern-day Spain, and by Spanish architects worldwide. The term includes buildings within the current geographical limits of Spain before this name was given to those territories...

, Moorish

Moorish architecture

Moorish architecture is the western term used to describe the articulated Berber-Islamic architecture of North Africa and Al-Andalus.-Characteristic elements:...

 and British

Architecture of the United Kingdom

The Architecture of England refers to the architecture practised in the territory of the present-day country of England, and in the historic Kingdom of England...

 Regency

Regency architecture

The Regency style of architecture refers primarily to buildings built in Britain during the period in the early 19th century when George IV was Prince Regent, and also to later buildings following the same style...

 styles, most of which have shops on the ground floor. Upper floors provide residential accommodation or offices. Tourists and visitors will find a wide variety of shops, many of which will be familiar from British high streets.

Irish Town is one of Main Street's sub-districts and was named in the early 19th century when Gibraltar was split into differing quarters.

Gibraltar’s town centre is largely protected by the Gibraltar Heritage Trust and is part of a continual restoration

Building restoration

Building restoration describes a particular treatment approach and philosophy within the field of architectural conservation. According the U.S...

 programme.

Grand Casemates Square

Grand Casemates Square at the northern end of Main Street, once the centre of public execution

Public Execution

Public Execution is a Mouse and the Traps retrospective album that has been released in both LP and CD formats. The LP has an unusually large number of tracks , while the CD includes 4 bonus tracks and catalogues almost all of the released music by Mouse and the Traps and their associated bands: ...

s, is the hub of Gibraltar's nightlife

Nightlife

Nightlife is the collective term for any entertainment that is available and more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning...

, and is filled with numerous restaurants, pub

Public house

A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...

s and bars.

Notable buildings on Main Street

• Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned
  Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned
  The Cathedral of Saint Mary the Crowned is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Gibraltar. It is the primary centre of Catholic worship in the Diocese of Gibraltar.-15th Century:The original building of the current cathedral was built during the Spanish period...
  
  
• Cathedral of the Holy Trinity
  Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Gibraltar
  The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity is the cathedral for the Church of England Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe. Located in Cathedral Square, it is sometimes referred to simply as Gibraltar Cathedral, although it should not be confused with the Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned, which is Gibraltar's...
  
  
• The Convent
  The Convent (Gibraltar)
  The Convent has been the official residence of the Governor of Gibraltar since 1728. It was originally a convent of Franciscan friars, hence its name, and was completed in 1531....