In a crowded street, where the tourists go for a walk in the heart of ancient Rome, there is an entrance to one of the monuments of the Eternal City’s most unusual and overlooked: Markets of Trajan.

The built in the second century as a series of domed offices, serves as the complex architecture of the castle, monastery and the barracks for centuries.

Here’s one of the oldest administrative center in the world, Trajan Markets, located on the hillside overlooking the Roman Forum, the monument which has nearly 2,000-year-old offers a spectacular view of the Colosseum.

The site is often referred to as the “world’s oldest shopping center,” but this name is something of a misnomer because it was never a major market for the Roman Empire, said the director of the site, Lucrezia Ungaro, told AFP.

“It’s like a big administrative center to manage the Forum of Trajan, located right next to him. You have to imagine the offices, meeting rooms are crowded by a public servant,” he said.

The monument was found in an area of ??thousands square meters and is divided into six floors with dozens of arches. Three pathways for pedestrians through the area, including the ancient Via Biberatica, are paved with basalt blocks are big and strong.

Emperor Trajan ruled between 53 century and up to 117 well-known through extensive public buildings, and the conquest of the expanding empire.

Trajan pillar next to the market is a symbol to commemorate his victory in Dacia War when the Romans took power over a wide area between the Black Sea and the Adriatic Sea.

Great Hall (Great Hall), which has magnificent views of the most spectacular but the weary traveler can also find a place to relax at Militia Park, a paradise in the middle of heavy traffic in Rome to see the Tower Militia which was built in medieval times.

Red-brick tower – the highest in Rome – was built between the 12th century and the 13th by a family of nobles who transform the site into a fortress.

In the 16th century, the area was again taken over by a group of Dominican nuns who turned it into a monastery, which lasted for three centuries.

After the unification of Italy and the takeover of many of the buildings of the Catholic Church in the 19th century, the place was turned into a military barracks.

Archaeological excavations in the 20th century restore the monument to be similar to the original state by removing the addition is made for centuries.

Great Hall is now open to the public and to place temporary exhibitions and cultural events and concerts, but still rare in demand by tourists.

“The average man holiday in Rome for three days, and travelers tend to concentrate on the most famous monuments,” Ungaro said, adding: “Maybe visit a monument is also an effective option.”

The entry fee for the Market of Trajan is 11 euros (about Rp129 thousand), while a ticket for 12 euros (about USD 141 thousand) is valid for travelers wishing to visit the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.

There is a long-debated plan to expand the view of Trajan Markets, for example by opening a direct entrance from the Roman Forum at the bottom of the monument, an area that attracts thousands of tourists every day.

But the plan encountered financial difficulties in the economic situation is difficult right now because the country’s cultural budget has been cut in order to deal with the debt crisis.

The market seems to Trajan, at least for now, will remain a place where visitors can relax and enjoy ancient history in a quiet haven.

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