AG41 - Market halls, bazaars and street markets of the Middle East, deconstructing divisions of place and cultures

AG41 - Market halls, bazaars and street markets of the Middle East, deconstructing divisions of place and cultures EN

Rather than valorisation of the physical fabric of historical bazaars and market halls, this session will highlight the significance of a holistic approach to restore the markets’ functions and reposition its socio-economic role  as cultural temples of tangible and intangible heritage where deconstruction of cultural divisions takes place and is celebrated. 

There are a few and disparate studies on the rise and decline of markets in Mediterranean cities. These bazaars, market halls and street markets, were socio-cultural hubs on the main trade routes linking the far East to the West and a destination for the entire population and traders, deconstructed divisions between cultures and political boundaries offering sustained human knowledge and cultural exchanges that are similar to modern day internet and social media. In the 20th century, colonial divisions, progressive economic westernization, new manufacturing technologies and faster transport’ routes changed the landscape and slowly erased the potential and the memory of these markets’ role. For example markets of  Cairo, Mosul and Aleppo saw further decline in the beginning of the 21st century, due to various national revolutions, ISIS destructions and changes in urban policies and financial support

Restoration of markets in their varying forms challenges urban renewal policies, access to public space planning, environmental sustainability, security of food supply, and tourism. 

Responsable : Hamza Neveen, School of Architecture, Planning And Landscape, Newcastle University, United Kingdom

19th Century ‘Market Halls’ buildings were presented to the public as strategic urban additions in Europe and in countries under European influence, including Egypt. Market hall buildings presented great expectations of a moral architecture that serves a social purpose for meeting and exchanging trade, with specific emphasis on quality of food supply to the urban population (Scmiechan and Carls, 1999). 

The appearance of a network of market halls in Cairo, and its surrounding market streets and connections to the Islamic bazaars were not in economic competition. However, contrary tp their counterpart European precedents, market halls in Cairo followed an organizational ambition by the ruling royal family and the city council to improve the food offer in a modern building for the middle class as a  venue for the purchase of food away form the perceived sqalour of the street markets and bazaars. These market halls would spare no expense at providing clean and healthy environments, while acting as a social meeting point in the new westernized quarter of Cairo

The significance of heritage value of the market hall was reflected in its cohesive architectural fusion between the engineering ingenuity of its large wrought iron roof structures, rational but architecturally detailed use of building materials for its facades, passive environmental design to maintain fresh air supply indoors, and its order and cleanliness  

However, since the mid 20th century, the retention of the role of the Egyptian market halls was undermined by liberal trade policies, faster modes of transportation and delivery of goods, along with suburban growth and the relative commercial “sprawl”. ). The loss of the traditional tenants focused on food retailing to cheap chinese electrical goods is leading to a loss of the building’s sustainability, identity, cultural and social value

 In this workshop we challenge traditional conceptions of heritage conservation focusing narrowly on building fabric  and call for broadened this agenda to encompass integrated approaches focusing on sustaining the ‘liveability’ of a building where conservation and heritage management are conceived as value-based activities and there is a focus upon what is significant about a building or place that makes it worthwhile of protection. This research extends the function of the market hall from food retailing to a meeting and cultural place to conserve tangible and intangible heritage of the Egyptian culture, through providing space for out of museum activities, exhibitions and culinary art and cookery activities in an environmentally sustainable building

Aleppo is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. Aleppo entered the Ottoman period in 1516 after the battle of Marj Dabiq in the north of the city between the Ottoman army under the Salim I and the Mamluk army under the Sultan Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri, and Aleppo became the first Arab Ottoman state. It was the centre of the Aleppo Vilayet, till the withdrawal of Ottomans after the Arab Revolution and the First World War in October 1918.Situated on historical silk trade routes, the city became a main Souk in the Middle East and witnessed substantial commercial growth. Its Souks were commercially linked to the European markets. Consequently the city accommodated large textile factories, for fabricating textiles and the city became a store for silk, spices, medical materials and precious goods.

The Souks of Aleppo, containing about 6000 Souks, are considered the largest covered Souks in the world, 12km in length and an area of 16 hectares. These Souks are located on two parallel axes with the south wall of the mosque, as Souk al-Hibal and Souk al-'Atiq which are the oldest Souks. The second group of Souks is parallel to al-Gumrok khan and their narrow ways lead to the mosque, the ceiling of these narrow ways form a stone cellar with small windows for light and air. At the end of the 15th century, most roofs of the Souks were covered with wooden structures. At the beginning of the 16th century, in the Ottoman period, Souks building were covered in stone cellars and stone domes after two fires destroyed all the wooden roofs. In his study "Les Grands Waqfs et l'Organisation de l'Espace Urbain à Alep et au Caire à l'Epoque Ottomane XVIe-XVIIe siècles", André Raymond mentions that the most distinguished characteristic of the urbanization phenomenon in Aleppo during the Ottoman period is the fast development of the economic heart of the city that surrounding the Great Mosque, as a result of the economic and demographic needs during the Ottoman domination.
The study will discuss a historical background of Aleppo city, its architectural and urbanism features, in addition to the role of endowment (Waqf) in the economic and its implication of urban Aleppo city at the end of Ottoman era and early twentieth century.
Additionally, the reasons for non-proliferation of the Hall markets in Northern Syria, despite their noticeable spread in the Mediterranean basin, especially North Africa are discussed. The chapter interrogates the role of foreign embassies in preserving the Aleppo khans particularly when the European consuls began to live in the city, and the states opened its consulate there.
An example (a case-study) of the commercial and economical activities in al-Saqatiyya Souk and Khan al-Gumrok will be presented, throughout its architectural program. 

Due to the destruction of historical monuments by the terrorist group ISIS in Iraq, the historical quarters of Mousil experienced heavy heritage losses. This destruction led to loss of historical landmarks, distinctive architectural and cultural identity and subsequently social displacement of families.  The historical city core of Mosul  retained its unique architectural style in its  path linking  the oldest mosque, the monastery and the temple of Êzidîan religion.  A number of international organizations support the rehabilitation of the historical quarters but seem to offer fragmented attempts that do not include planning and analysing of the city as a whole. 

The aim of this research is to develop a comprehensive study and framework for the regeneration of  urban fabric,  buildings and spaces that shaped the resilient, diverse and harmonious Mouslian Society. The study will include a framework that integrates the various parts of the city with their urban fabric with its landmark historical buildings, alleys, nodes and yards carried stories and events that took root in the collective memory and provided spaces that foster peaceful living relationships for this society.