ARAB SUQS: CHANGES AND CONTINUITY OF THE ORGANIZATION, FUNCTION AND CHARACTERISTICS, WITH A CASE STUDY OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE SUQ AREA AT AL-HOFUF, SAUDI ARABIA Item Type text; Master's Report-Reproduction (electronic) Authors SALAGOOR, JAMALUDDEN Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 01/10/2021 11:49:22 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/555240 ARAB SUQS: CHANGES AND CONTINUITY OF THE ORGANIZATION, FUNCTION AND CHARACTERISTICS, WITH A CASE STUDY OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE SUQ AREA AT AL-HOFUF, SAUDI ARABIA by Jamaludden Salagoor For a A Master's Report Submitted to the Faculty of the COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE Masters Project Committee: Professor Fred S. MatterJrvAv Committee Chairman Dr. Michael E. Bo Committee Member Prof. Kenneth Clark Committee Member t iAisLcrS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This paper would have been al-Awaied and Ibrahim al-Naimi. impossible without the help of Allah and Thanks go to Erika Louie and the following. brother Mustafa Shadnof for editing this I would like to express my thanks paper. to King Faisal University for financial Special thanks and appreciation to support during my studies at the my wife and son, Abdulaziz, for their University of Arizona. time, patience and understanding. My sincere thanks and appreciation Finally, many thanks to my to my committee members, Prof. Fred parents, brothers and the Islamic Matter, Dr. Michael Bonine and Prof. community of Tucson for their moral Kenneth Clark for their guidance and support. encouragement. Special thanks to the Islamic Architecture Group in Tucson for their suggestions and guidance through their meetings. The members of this group are: Khalifa Solieman, Talal Abdullah, Said Abu-Kamar, Said Al-Awais, Abdulaziz iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page Chapter Page 1. ARAB SUQS IN PRE-ISLAMIC TIMES... 1 2. SUQS IN ISLAMIC TIMES........... 19 Introduction................ 3 Decline of the Annual Suqs... 19 Arab Suqs in Pre-Islamic Classification of Arab Times........................ 3 Muslim Suqs................. 20 Factors in the Germination Al-Marbad's Suq......... 20 of Annual Suqs in • Medina's Suq............ 22 Pre-Islamic Times........... 4 Aleppo's Suq............ 27 Growth of Trade......... 4 Characteristics of Arab Location of the Arab Muslim Suqs................. 32 Countries............... 5 Conclusion.................. 35 Caravan and Commercial Routes................... 6 3. CONTEMPORARY SUQS............... 37 General Characteristics of Annual Suqs................. 7 Introduction................ 37 Time and Duration....... 7 Factors Responsible for Safety of the Annual Changes in the Traditional Suqs............ 10 Arab Muslim Suq............. 37 Methods of Selling...... 10 Urban Growth............ 38 Ukaz Annual Suq............. 11 Expansion of Traditional Location................ 12 Suqs..................... 39 The Attendants.......... 12 New Technology and Mass Time and Duration....... 13 Production.............. 41 Ukaz, Commercial Forum...... 14 Changes in Mobility..... 45 Ukaz, Social Forum.......... 15 Environment, and General Deceit Advertisements.... 15 Problems..................... 47 Religious Forum......... 16 Experience of Jeddah in Deprivation of Nation­ Developing its Suq Area..... 50 ality and Loyalty....... 16 Summary...................... 51 Cavalries Glorious...... 16 Ukaz, Literature and 4. CASE STUDY: DEVELOPMENT OF THE Linguistic Forum............ 17 AL-HOFUF SUQ AREA............ V I Chapter Page Chapter Page Introduction................ 59 AlrHassa Region (Historical Location and Importance..... 59 Aspect....................... 116 Climate..................... 64 Al-Hassa Natural Resources... 117 Temperature................. 64 Al-Hofuf City............... 118 Wind........................ 65 Al-Hofuf Suq Area........... 119 Rainfall.................... 66 Services to Different Suqs Historical Background of in the Suq Area............. 121 Al-Hassa and Al-Hofuf...... 68 Suq Street.................. 123 The Growth of Al-Hofuf..... 70 Traffic Pressure in the First Stage: 1934-1951.. 70 Suq Street............ 125 Second Stage: 1963...... 73 Suq Al-Qaisariyah........... 127 Third Stage: 1974 to Al-Qaisariyah Wall.......... 129 the Present............. 74 Al-Qaisariyah Roof.......... 130 The Suq Area................ 76 Al-Qaisariyah Floor......... 131 Accessibility and Circulation Shops in Front of Patterns..... '.............. 82 Al-Qaisariyah............... 132 Existing Suqs in Al-Hofuf Suq Suwayqa................. 134 Suq Area.................... 86 Suw Al-Zahab (Gold Market)... 135 1. Suq Al-Qaisariyah.... Suq Al-Harim (Women's Plan and Layout..... 89 Market)..................... 136 Construction Prayer Area for Women....... 137 Materials........... 91 Children's Needs............ 139 Specialization...... 93 Climate/Microclimate........ 140 2. Shops in Front of Outline of the Design Al-Qaisariyah........... 96 Program...................... 142 3. Al-Khamis Suq (Thursday Market)....... 100 GLOSSARY......................... 161 4. Suq Al-Zahab (Gold Market)................. 103 NOTES............................ 163 5. Suq Swayqa............ 105 6. Suq Al-Harim BIBLIOGRAPHY.................... 169 (Women's Market)......... 107 Al-Hassa Crafts............. 108 5. PROBLEM DEFINITION AND DESIGN PROGRAM........................... 115 PREFACE Suqs, or markets, are a vital community. Past mistakes can be theater in which to perform religious, understood, and positive solutions can be cultural, economic and even political achieved. functions. The importance of suqs in the This research is divided into four Middle East has directed this research chapters. The first chapter discusses into the study of Arab suqs throughout Arab suqs in pre-Islamic times. The history, in order to understand their second chapter explores the suqs in functions, characteristics and organiza­ Islamic times. The third chapter is about tion. The study of Arab suqs will clarify the Arab suqs in contemporary times. The the evolution of the function, last chapter will concentrate on the study characteristics and organization of suqs of the developing al-Hafuf suq area as a which occured as a result of changes in case study. time, beliefs, sales techniques, and people's needs. Discovering these changes will provide the foundation, general ideas, and far-reaching insights into the solution of problems in contemporary suqs according to the specific needs of each I 2 CHAPTER 1 ARAB SUQS IN PRE-•ISLAMIC TIMES Introduction Arab Suqs in Pre-Islamic Times The first two chapters are It is clear that there were directed toward the study of Arab suqs permanent suqs in pre-Islamic times, held (markets) in both pre-Islamic and Islamic daily in each town and city. Mohammed S. times. The purpose of this comparison is Makki describes the situation of the to understand the similarities and permanent suqs in pre-Islamic Medina and differences of the suqs in both times, in says that "every quarter had its own suq terms of characteristic activities and which spread over a wide area without a layouts, and also to discover whether the [single] definite place for traders."^ changes over time, location, social life However, permanent suqs in pre-Islamic and people's beliefs have had a great times were not as important as the annual effect on the evolution of these suqs, because these annual suqs were more characteristics. In order to achieve than commercial markets: they were also these goals, we will study the germination forums for social and cultural life. and evolution of the Arab suq through There is no better description of the history, and the different factors that annual suqs than that of Urfan Hamor, who have affected the continuity or evolution says "No other nation had anything similar of the suqs. to what the Arab had in the annual suqs. 3 They were held at certain times each year Factors in the Origin of Annual Suqs in Pre-Islamic Times and were spread over different parts of Annual suqs developed in Pre- the Arab peninsula. People came to these Islamic times because of three factors: annual suqs from different places, moved growth in trade, the location of Arab from one annual suq to another, solved countries, and commercial trade routes. many problems and did many things. They sold and swapped goods, waited for Growth of Trade ransomed captives, settled differences Originally, the focus of the between tribes, then they went to hear annual suqs was commercial in nature, not competitions between tribes in poetry and cultural. In order to understand the main speech, and to boast of kinship. Finally, factors in the establishment of annual they socialized and told jokes in clubs. suqs, we have to know how trade was Also, in these annual suqs there were established. rulers who rendered judgments on Trade was established on the disagreements between people: these rulers Arabian Peninsula according to the needs or judges ruled over people according to of people for one another. Each region traditional ways which were accepted by had goods which were produced only in that all of them.11 ^ area. Al-Afghany, who described the situation of the Arab countries in Pre-Islamic times, wrote that