The world's first mall

The Stoa of Attalos, reconstructed in the 1950's by classical archaeologists, could have very well been the world's first shopping mall.

Built in the Athenian Agora during the 2nd century Athenian recovery by King Attalos of Pergumum, the Stoa of Attalos stands as the acme of the architectural development of the stoa. It was a large 2-storey building with a double colonnade (row of columns), and it was constructed from marble and limestone, which were native materials of the region. It contained 42 rooms that were all used as shops and businesses. The Stoa of Attalos might very well have been the world's first shopping mall.

The Stoa was used as such for 400 years, until its destructions in 267 AD, when the Herulians sacked Athens. The remains of the stoa became part of a fortification wall.

When Agora archaeologists in the 1940's were looking for an appropriate place to house the multitude of artifacts excavated in the area, nothing seemed right (or large enough). They eventually turned to the ideal structure, one that was large enough, and highly appropriate for use as a museum: The Stoa of Attalos. So, between 1952 and 1956, a nearly exact replica of the Stoa was constructed. Using similar construction techniques, as well as materials (except for the interior, in which they used concrete - how Roman!), the Stoa of Attalos rose from the ruins and returned to the grandeur of its halcyon days.

**One mistake was made in the stoa's reconstruction, however. In reconstructing the drainage spouts that sat on the corners of the roof, builders left out a very important element not forgotten by ancient architects. The ancient spouts, which were whimsical stone lion heads, would filter water through their mouth, and the tongues of the lions would act to shoot the water out over the steps of the stoa. Modern engineers neglected to include the tongues, causing the lion to merely drool water, allowing it to splash onto the steps below. Other than that, the stoa is faultless.

The Stoa of Attalos stands today as a museum, housing the wealth of artifacts recovered during the Agora excavations. It also stands as an exquisite representation of Greek architecture, giving visitors a true sense of the scale of ancient Greek buildings and life, as well as the opportunity to take a walk back into ancient history.