ABSTRACT
It is believed that markets have existed for as long as humanity has engaged in trade and, alongside other formats, historic urban markets existed in Greek agora, Roman fora, and eastern bazaars. The evolution of markets, from the earliest civilizations to current shopping formats such as online shopping, represents an interesting phenomenon that says much about the cultural, economic, and socio-political conditions of each era. As a golden age for the construction of covered markets and market halls, the nineteenth century represents an interesting era in which this building type became popular in the major cities of the East. As such, this chapter focuses on nineteenth-century eastern markets and, more specifically, Bazaar Abbas in Port Said as the physical manifestation of a transcultural model. The investigation concludes with a recommendation for an urgent and comprehensive regeneration project to rejuvenate the market building so that it may resume its positive socio-economic and cultural role for its surrounding context, and help preserve the historic, cosmopolitan traces and multi-cultural exchange manifested in Port Said.
