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