@artemiscollective: Roman Shopping Malls 🏺 | Trajan’s Market was a massive, multi-level complex in the heart of Rome, filled with shopfronts, corridors, staircases, offices, storage spaces, and places where people bought, sold, worked, drank, complained, and generally kept the city functioning. Was it exactly like a modern mall? No. There was tragically no Sephora, no food court pretzel situation, and probably no one crying in a Zara dressing room. But it did serve a surprisingly familiar purpose: bringing commerce, administration, and daily life into one enormous, highly organized public space. And the wildest part? You can still walk through it today. Nearly 2,000 years later, Trajan’s Market is still standing in Rome, reminding us that ancient cities were not just temples and emperors. They were full of storefronts, foot traffic, snacks, bureaucracy, and people trying to get things done. Sources: Claridge, Amanda. Rome: An Oxford Archaeological Guide. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. Coarelli, Filippo. Rome and Environs: An Archaeological Guide. Translated by James J. Clauss and Daniel P. Harmon. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2007. Museo dei Fori Imperiali nei Mercati di Traiano. “Museum.” Mercati di Traiano Museo dei Fori Imperiali. Accessed June 18, 2026. Museo dei Fori Imperiali nei Mercati di Traiano. “Via Biberatica.” Mercati di Traiano Museo dei Fori Imperiali. Accessed June 18, 2026. #ancientrome #ancienthistory #romanempire #rome #historytok

Sarah | Classical History🏺

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Sunday 21 June 2026 18:37:37 GMT