Buildings are among the most lasting of human creations.Their forms and functions are evidence of the dynamic social life that has long been tied to enters of economic and political power. One ancient structure and gathering place,the marketplace, has evolved into what we call today the regional shopping centre or mall. It is often constructed on a site so big that it requires a location outside of the crowded urban center.There it sometimes develops into a commercial rival to the older city center.
In many ways,these 21st-century malls are nothing new. In fact,they follow a long tradition of commercial expansion that began with the development of the first long-distance trade networks and markets. These markets were temporary at first, but they became more permanent with the rise of cities in the Middle East about five thousand years ago. They grew alongside the rivers,harbours, and overland caravan routes that connected the swelling towns of the agricultural era.
The population growth and economic prosperity of the agricultural society made possible the advancement of specialised craftspeople and merchants. These people met to barter,buy, or sell their merchandise in a place that was accessible, safe, and regulated. By 2000 BC, in the ancient Sumerian city of Ur (in what is now Iraq), the covered bazaar and the shop-lined street had established itself.
The traditional bazaar consists of shops in streets that can be closed off by gates at each end. This follows the historical town-planning requirement that commercial and residential areas be kept strictly apart. Though they are far from uniform, bazaars are typically divided into various sections that each specialize in a single trade or craft. In small towns, the bazaar can be as small as a single covered street, while in large cities it can be a vast area filled with mazelike passageways. The Grand Bazaar of Theran is ten kilometers long, while the one in Istanbul, dating from the 15th century, has more than 58 streets and 4000 shops. Historically,