Mohammad Gharipour (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9789774165290
- eISBN:
- 9781617971334
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774165290.001.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
The main objective of this book is to explore the dynamics of the bazaar within a broad socio-spatial and political perspective by investigating a number of case studies from North Africa to the ...
More
The main objective of this book is to explore the dynamics of the bazaar within a broad socio-spatial and political perspective by investigating a number of case studies from North Africa to the Middle East. It includes papers on different facets of the bazaar from historical, architectural, sociological, and anthropological perspectives. The Middle Eastern bazaar is much more than a context for commerce: the studies in this book illustrate that markets, regardless of their location, scale, and permanency, have also played important cultural roles within their societies, reflecting historical evolution, industrial development, social and political conditions, urban morphology, and architectural functions. This interdisciplinary volume explores the dynamics of the bazaar with a number of case studies from Cairo, Damascus, Aleppo, Nablus, Bursa, Istanbul, Sana'a, Kabul, Tehran, and Yazd. Although they share some contextual and functional characteristics, each bazaar has its own unique and fascinating history, traditions, cultural practices, and structure. One of the most intriguing aspects revealed in this volume is the thread of continuity from past to present exhibited by the bazaar as a forum where a society meets and intermingles in the practice of goods exchange—a social and cultural ritual that is as old as human history.Less
The main objective of this book is to explore the dynamics of the bazaar within a broad socio-spatial and political perspective by investigating a number of case studies from North Africa to the Middle East. It includes papers on different facets of the bazaar from historical, architectural, sociological, and anthropological perspectives. The Middle Eastern bazaar is much more than a context for commerce: the studies in this book illustrate that markets, regardless of their location, scale, and permanency, have also played important cultural roles within their societies, reflecting historical evolution, industrial development, social and political conditions, urban morphology, and architectural functions. This interdisciplinary volume explores the dynamics of the bazaar with a number of case studies from Cairo, Damascus, Aleppo, Nablus, Bursa, Istanbul, Sana'a, Kabul, Tehran, and Yazd. Although they share some contextual and functional characteristics, each bazaar has its own unique and fascinating history, traditions, cultural practices, and structure. One of the most intriguing aspects revealed in this volume is the thread of continuity from past to present exhibited by the bazaar as a forum where a society meets and intermingles in the practice of goods exchange—a social and cultural ritual that is as old as human history.
Naseer Arafat
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9789774165290
- eISBN:
- 9781617971334
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774165290.003.0007
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
This chapter explores the role of regional commerce in the formation of markets that are rarely studied in contemporary literature. The old markets of Nablus were prosperous in foreign trade because ...
More
This chapter explores the role of regional commerce in the formation of markets that are rarely studied in contemporary literature. The old markets of Nablus were prosperous in foreign trade because of the location of the city, which was on the crossroads of the commercial roads traversed by trade caravans. In the 18th and 19th centuries, trade in Nablus was described as reaching far-flung places, such as Egypt, Syria, Arabia, and Mount Lebanon. In addition to the strength of industrial activity and agricultural surplus, soap manufacture in Nablus greatly contributed to the development of local commercial activity and trade among Middle Eastern cities. The export of soap was in turn complemented by the import of supplies and goods from the regions to which that export was directed. The author examines the organization of semi-specialized markets of Nablus in their historical context and explains how the strict organizational scheme adopted in the markets provided the basic needs of each industry.Less
This chapter explores the role of regional commerce in the formation of markets that are rarely studied in contemporary literature. The old markets of Nablus were prosperous in foreign trade because of the location of the city, which was on the crossroads of the commercial roads traversed by trade caravans. In the 18th and 19th centuries, trade in Nablus was described as reaching far-flung places, such as Egypt, Syria, Arabia, and Mount Lebanon. In addition to the strength of industrial activity and agricultural surplus, soap manufacture in Nablus greatly contributed to the development of local commercial activity and trade among Middle Eastern cities. The export of soap was in turn complemented by the import of supplies and goods from the regions to which that export was directed. The author examines the organization of semi-specialized markets of Nablus in their historical context and explains how the strict organizational scheme adopted in the markets provided the basic needs of each industry.
