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The bazaar of Antakya

Bazaars are fascinating. They are the precursors of the today's big shopping malls. Concentrated at one place, you can acquire all products of the daily and the long-dated using. The shops in the streets are mostly ordered. Thus you can find predominantly jewellers in one street, in another shoe stores and in a third street spice traders. The history of the bazaar is ancient. The precursor of the bazaar of Antakya might be so old at least, how the bazaar in Istanbul. This was built by sultan Mehmet II already in 1461 and has not changed his form till this day. There never was a classical closed bazaar in Antakya, but the bazaar quarter might be up to 1000 years old. Probably there was already a shopping mile similar to bazaar in the city at the time of the Seldschuken (as crusaders besieged the city). However, this can not be detected. The special atmosphere of the bazaar is a mixture of many different human and national groups which are more or less inclined to buy. Also the commercial process, the haggling and the theatrical play of the traders due to too low prices, are very interesting and odd. The comprehensive products on offer and many different smells and noises provide for a unique bazaar mood. With hindsight the bazaar is a very clever establishment which consolidate offer and inquiry to a central commercial place. Thereby large amounts can be sold for small prices. All sides have advantages: The trader can set down large amounts without having other carriage and the buyer profits from the low prices. There are other ecological advantages. I had the opportunity to carry out a long term measurement of the temperatures in the bazaar in Antakya. The air is pleasantly even with the biggest summer heat and in autumn and winter the temperatures are only seldom too chilly. There does not exist a better shopping climate. The following pictures show temperature curves of a measurement:

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(1) Measurement in a store



(2) Measurement on the bazaar


In modern shopping malls a more or less good climate is guaranteed with considerable application by energy (air-conditioning). Mostly it is too chilly in summer and too warm in winter. Also the aerial quality is better in the bazaar. In comparison to outside air, the Co2 values of the air in the bazaar is only slightly heightened. The Co2 values are representative for the aerial quality (spent breath air / exhaust gases by all kinds of combustion processes). In shopping centres these values are clearly higher. The ancient bazaar is more ecological and he yields something to the local economy. In modern shopping centres only national or international chains of supermarkets offer their products.


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