The shopping mall concept has been around for centuries. The Istanbul Grand Bazaar in Turkey since its opening in 1461 is considered the world’s oldest shopping mall. Today, there are thousands of shopping malls in the world. Here are the top three largest malls in the world in terms of total area.
1. The Dubai Mall
Located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is the world’s largest mall according to total area with 12 million square feet. The internal mall space is 6 million square feet; the same size as West Edmonton Mall in Canada. Location details for West Edmonton Mall can be found at Canada 411. The Dubai Mall has over 1,200 stores featuring items that include high fashion haute couture, jewelry and the English brand Hamley’s toy store.
2. New South China Mall
The New South China Mall occupies approximately 9 million square feet making it the second largest by total area in the world. The mall was opened in 2005 and has the capacity to accommodate 2,350 stores. The design concept depicts several international regions including Paris, Venice and Egypt. The mall has over 99 percent empty retail space due to being inaccessible by most people.
3. Golden Resources Mall
The Golden Resources Mall in Beijing, China is the world’s third largest in total area with about 6 million square feet. The mall has been nicknamed the Great Mall of China by boasting six levels of shopping area. The mall was opened in 2004 and is designed in an Art Deco style. Patronage of the mall has been low due to its location and high store prices.
