Rome: Markets of Trajan

Shopping isn’t a new activity; rather it is one that has spanned centuries. In ancient Rome, Emperor Trajan hired architect Apollodorus of Damascus to create a complex for shopping and business. After its completion in 112 AD, the Markets of Trajan became a bustling center with small shops, many of which were arranged in a semicircular fashion. This building shape allowed people to look across the way and see what was for sale at the store across the market. How is this similar and different to our current shopping centers?