The Traditional Souq was one of the main components of the Islamic city. It was also the nerve of the city and its impulsive vessel because it was more than just a market to buy and sell goods; it was also an urban space where many cultural and social activities took place in. The traditional Souq also has many values which don't exist in the modern markets, such as cultural, historical, social and economic values.
Nowadays, the modern markets and malls took the seat from the traditional Souqs and became the only choice place for shopping although these malls don't have the superior character of traditional ones. As a result these traditional souqs became suffering from dereliction, disregard and shelving, therefore they need more attention especially after the neglect of their values.
Some cities recognized the importance of their traditional souqs, so they started to plan projects for rediscovering the discriminators of these urban spaces, for instance, Syria, Turkey, Lebanon and Egypt. This research will explain some of these cities projects in rehabilitation of their traditional souqs.
The research aims to spot the light on the traditional Souq and its role in the historical city. It'll try to enumerate the values which found in the traditional Souq towards a rediscovering of its unique character. The research will also analyze some examples of traditional souqs, their main features and tools of rehabilitation in different communities. The conclusion will be some recommendations towards traditional Souq revivalism and rediscovery of the value of this heritage and how to attract people again to the traditional souq. |
