The role of traditional commercial spaces in urban evolution: a morphological study of the medina of Tlemcen

Abstract

Traditional commercial spaces in Islamic cities, particularly souks in Maghreb medinas, have been fascinating urban fabrics in terms of continuity and change of economic activities and urban morphology. The commercial district of Tlemcen, a medieval medina, followed a pattern worth exploring. Therefore, this article examines how changes and growth in urban morphology can affect Tlemcen’s commercial district in terms of distribution and redistribution of activities, transformation of streets, and growth and location of stores. Indeed, the concentration of specialized streets, with chains and networks of stores offering similar items, has been continually affected by their changing positions within a constantly evolving morphological system. The idea put forward is that although the layout of the traditional commercial district has changed throughout time and space, the commercial pattern has continued to evolve and adapt around its key axes, while maintaining the character of the medina. This research also highlights these spaces’ symbolic and cultural values, as well as their role in preserving urban identity and collective memory. Thus, an urban morphology analysis was conducted to verify this hypothesis by comparing urban patterns from medieval to present. This research is also based on the fieldwork consisting of participant observations and semi-structured interviews