The Rehabilitation of the Historic Barzan Traditional Market and Its Impact on Cultural Tourism in Hail City

Abstract

Hail is regarded as one of the richest cities in Saudi Arabia in terms of heritage sites. The city center, where the Barzan marketplace is located, is regarded as critical to the city’s cultural tourism. The purpose of this study is to understand the traditional Barzan market rehabilitation project within the city center and its role in preserving Hail’s urban identity. According to the study, the rehabilitation of the city center presents an opportunity for urban development to boost tourism and connect various historic landmarks in a variety of ways, including the development of pedestrian routes. The study also presents and discusses several complexities and challenges that must be considered when implementing such an urban development. A multi-approach methodology is employed to investigate several urban factors and involved actors, including a social online survey and semi-structured interviews, as well as empirical data to support the study objectives. The study’s findings indicate that there is an issue with the urban solution implemented in the Barzan market on multiple levels, the most important of which is the ‘miso’ level of the city center, where several potential landmarks are neglected and isolated from the Barzan marketplace. A solution is proposed to create multiple urban spaces that can be used by the Hail community as a whole, not just those involved in the market. This would necessitate a different approach to space design, as well as changes in how the Barzan market is managed and maintained.