Mahane Yehuda Market (Hebrew: שוק מחנה יהודה, Shuk Mahane Yehuda), often referred to as "The Shuk", is an outdoor marketplace in Jerusalem, Israel. Popular with locals and tourists alike, the market's more than 250 vendors[1] sell fresh fruits and vegetables; baked goods; fish, meat and cheeses; nuts, seeds, and spices; wines and liquors; clothing and shoes; housewares, textiles, and Judaica.[2][3]
In and around the market are falafel and shawarma stands, juice bars, cafes, and meat restaurants.[1] The color and bustle of the marketplace is accentuated by vendors who call out their prices to passersby.[1] On Thursdays and Fridays, the marketplace is abuzz with shoppers stocking up for Shabbat.[4]
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Mahane Yehuda market is bounded by Jaffa Road to the north, Agrippas Street to the south, Beit Yaakov Street to the west, and Kiach Street to the east.[5] The market itself has two major streets: Eitz Chaim Street (the covered market) and Mahane Yehuda Street (the open-air market). Bisecting these two streets are smaller streets named for fruits and nuts: Afarsek (Peach) Street, Agas (Pear) Street, Egoz (Walnut) Street, Shaked (Almond) Street, Shezif (Plum) Street, Tapuach (Apple) Street, and Tut (Berry) Street.[3]
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The neighborhood of Mahane Yehuda was established in 1887 with 162 houses. It was founded by three business partners — Johannes Frutiger (a German Protestant and owner of the largest bank in Palestine), Shalom Konstrum, and Joseph Navon — and was named after Navon's brother, Yehuda.[3] It abutted another new neighborhood, Beit Ya'akov, founded in 1885.[6]
At the end of the 19th century, a marketplace was established between the two neighborhoods on an empty lot owned by the Sephardi Valero family;[3] this market was known as Shuk Beit Yaakov (Beit Yaakov Market).[6] Here Arab merchants and fellaheen sold their goods to the residents who lived outside the Old City. As the new neighborhoods outside the Old City grew, the Beit Yaakov Market grew apace with more stalls, tents and pavilions.[6]
Under Ottoman rule, the market expanded haphazardly and sanitary conditions worsened. In the late 1920s, the British Mandate authorities cleared out all the merchants and built permanent stalls and roofing.[3] Afterwards the market began to be known as the Mahane Yehuda Market, after the larger neighborhood.
In the 2000s, major renovations were made to the Mahane Yehuda Market, including infrastructure work, repaving roads and covering some open areas.[3]
In 1931 a new section was built to the west of the market by 20 traders, who previously had only temporary wooden stalls in the area. It was later named the Iraqi Market, as many traders of Iraqi Jewish descent acquired shops there.[7] Today the Iraqi Market is located off Mahane Yehuda Street.
Several bus lines serve the market at the Agrippas end. The first line of the Jerusalem Light Rail has a station on Jaffa Road, right near the market.
The first generation of the Banai family of actors and musicians originally lived at 1 HaAgas Street at the southern end of the market. In 2000 the Jerusalem municipality renamed this street as Eliyahu Yaakov Banai Street after the family's patriarch. Ehud Banai, a family member, wrote a song entitled "One HaAgas Street", which describes the life and atmosphere at the family home.[8]
In 1976 Rami Levy opened his first store on Hashikma Street, one of the streets in the Mahane Yehuda district, selling food products to consumers at wholesale prices. Today Rami Levy Hashikma Marketing (TASE:RMLI) is the third largest food retailer in Israel.[9]
In the mid-2000s, Ethiopian food sellers began to appear in and around the market.[10][11]
Long known for bargain prices on everything from vegetables to clothing, the market has upgraded its offerings in recent years. Three new designer clothing stores opened in 2007;[12] there are also new bistros, gourmet delicatessans, an Italian coffee house, an imported kitchenware shop, and sellers of boutique wines and cheeses.[13][14][2]
Because of its high pedestrian traffic, it was a target for terrorist attacks during the Second Intifada:
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| 1. Central Bus Station · 2. Railway station (planned) · 3. Mahane Yehuda Market · 4. Klal Center · 5. Ben Yehuda Street · 6. Nahalat Shiva · 7. Generali Building · 8. Safra Square / City Hall · 9. Old City · 10. Mamilla · 11. Jaffa Gate / Tower of David |
| Squares |
| A. Davidka Square · B. Zion Square · C. Tzahal Square · D. Safra Square |