Market sights in Israel & The Palestinian Territories
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A
Souq al-Qattanin
The recently renovated Souq al-Qattanin was originally a Crusader market improved by the Mamluks in the mid-14th century. Almost 100m long, it has 50 shops on the ground floor with residential quarters above. About halfway down is a gate that leads to the 'Al-Quds University Jerusalem Studies Centre'. If it's open, climb up to the roof for a spectacular view of the Temple Mount.
The market also included two hammams (public baths), which have been closed for years but are one of many city projects planned for renovation.
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Muslim Quarter
Strolling does not come easy in the Muslim Quarter - visiting the sights here is more a matter of dodging, weaving and ducking. You'll need agility as heavily laden carts go trundling past, children zip by with reckless abandon and merchants manhandle you into their shops.
Challenging as it may seem, the hustle and bustle of the Muslim Quarter is relieved by the fragrance of the spice shops, the sight of colourful headgear bobbing amid the crowd and the joy of a hot tea taken on the roof of a guesthouse, with the Dome of the Rock dominating every view.
The Muslim Quarter runs from Damascus Gate east and south towards the Temple Mount. Enter the melee at permanently…
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Almonit (Anonymous) Alley
It's easy to miss this tiny sidestreet while walking up King George St. But as a decidedly non-trendy, alternative hangout, the people that do come here appreciate its obscurity. The alley was originally named after Getzel Shapira, an American Jew who financed civic projects in Tel Aviv in the 1920s.
Later, Mayor Dizengoff, irritated that anyone with money could have a street named after themselves, ordered the street names changed and a clerk gave the alley a name that essentially means 'John Doe'.
Almonit sports a café, a secondhand bookshop, a vintage clothing store and a hairdresser fond of outrageous wall art (which is changed every couple of months). The most…
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B
Mahane Yehuda Market
All walks of Jerusalem life converge at the bustling Mahane Yehuda Market, a fascinating spectacle for the first-time visitor and a bargain emporium for city residents. Squeeze past the narrow, carefully guarded entrance and dive into a marketplace crammed with fresh fruit, oils, nuts, vegetables and just about anything else grown or picked from the Israeli soil. Spices abound and the smell of cinnamon, pesto, paprika and black pepper fills the air.
There is also plenty of imported coffee and teas, not to mention fresh fish hauled up from the Mediterranean.
The market is fast becoming gentrified and some of the stalls have been converted into bohemian-esque coffeeshops;…
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C
Gold Market
The narrow covered Gold Market passage, running alongside the southern edge of the Great Mosque, was built in AD 1476 by prominent Gazan judge, Sheikh Shams al-Din-al-Himsi, and originally formed part of a much bigger covered market. The rest of the market was destroyed during WWI, but today this short passageway is still the place where all spouses-to-be come to pick out jewellery.
Sadly, due to recent food shortages in Gaza, the gold market has also started to play host to elderly Gazans, selling off family heirlooms in the hope of raising some sorely needed extra cash.
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D
Arab Market
You'll get a feel for Haifa's grizzled old Christian-Arab quarter, Wadi Nisnas, as your roam around the Arab Market. The sandy block architecture, heavily laden donkey carts and smells of cumin and cardamom firmly place Haifa back in the Middle East. The market displays of public art, hardware shops, narrow alleys and plenty of felafel stands to suppress your hunger. In December and January there is a unique ongoing festival here that celebrates Hanukkah, Christmas and Ramadan.
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Kurdi & Berit
From the Turkish Bathhouse, head away from the Crusader City and follow your nose to Akko's small but bustling souq. Here fresh hummus is boiled in giant vats while fresh fish nearby flop off the tables. As carts trundle past, children shuck corn and vendors hawk fresh fruit, all to the soundtrack of tinny Arabic music playing from battered radios. As you browse the stalls, visit Kurdi & Berit a tourist-friendly shop that ships herbs and spices worldwide.
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