View source for Mahane Yehuda Market

{{short description|Marketplace in Jerusalem}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Mahane Yehuda Market
| native_name = ''Shuk Mahane Yehuda''
| alternate_names = ''The Shuk'' or ''Machne''
| image = Mahane Yehuda (I) (45298221191).jpg
| caption = Mahane Yehuda Market on a busy Friday
| location = [[Jerusalem]]
| map_type = Jerusalem
| coordinates = {{coord|31|47|08|N|35|12|44|E|display=inline}}
| opened_date = Late 19th century
| management = Machane Yehuda Management
}}
'''Mahane Yehuda Market''' ({{langx|he|שוק מחנה יהודה|translit=Shuk Mahane Yehuda}}), often referred to as "The [[Shuk]]" ({{langx|he|השוק|translit=HaShuq|lit=The Market}}),<ref name="ew">{{cite web |url=http://www.machne.co.il/en/category/about-machne |title=Mahane Yehuda website |access-date=September 6, 2012}}</ref> is a marketplace (originally open-air, but now partially covered) in [[Jerusalem]]. Popular with locals and tourists alike, the market's more than 250 vendors<ref name="foner">{{cite web |last=Rosenthal |first=Morris |date=December 2009 |title=Mahane Yehuda &ndash; The Jerusalem Shuk (Outdoor Market) |url=https://www.fonerbooks.com/serial.htm |access-date=November 17, 2023 |website=Foner Books |publisher=}}</ref> sell fresh fruits and vegetables; baked goods; fish, meat and cheeses; nuts, seeds, and spices; wines and liquors; clothing and shoes; and housewares, textiles, and [[Judaica]].<ref name="mitnick">{{cite news|url=http://www.thejewishweek.com/special_sections/israel_now/whole_lotta_shuk_ing_going|title=Whole Lotta Shuk-ing Going On|first=Joshua|last=Mitnick|access-date=July 3, 2011|publisher=[[The Jewish Week]]|date=February 27, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021145055/http://www.thejewishweek.com/special_sections/israel_now/whole_lotta_shuk_ing_going|archive-date=October 21, 2012}}</ref><ref name="visiting">{{cite web |url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/133492 |title=Visiting the Mahane Yehuda Open Air Market |last=Browns |first=Shmuel |date=September 17, 2009 |access-date=June 17, 2010 |publisher=israelnationalnews.com}}</ref>

In and around the market are [[falafel]], [[shawarma]], [[kibbeh]], [[kebab]], [[shashlik]], [[kanafeh]], [[baklava]], [[halva]], [[Zalabiyeh|zalabiya]]  and [[Jerusalem mixed grill]] stands, juice bars, cafes, and restaurants.<ref name="foner"/> The color and bustle of the marketplace is accentuated by vendors who call out their prices to passersby.<ref name="foner"/> On Thursdays and Fridays, the marketplace is filled with shoppers stocking up for [[Shabbat]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jafi.org.il/education/noar/sites/shuk.htm |title=Mahane Yehuda |access-date=June 17, 2010 |publisher=[[The Jewish Agency for Israel]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091222184926/http://www.jafi.org.il/education/noar/sites/shuk.htm |archive-date=December 22, 2009 }}</ref> until the Friday afternoon sounding of the bugle that signifies the market will close for the Sabbath.<ref name="foner"/><ref name="FAQ">{{cite web |url=http://www.machne.co.il/en/category/faq |title=FAQs |publisher=Mahane Yehuda |access-date=September 7, 2012}}</ref> In recent years, "the shuk" has emerged as another Jerusalemic nightlife center, with restaurants, bars and live music.<ref name="timeout"/>

==Geography==
[[File:Shukoranges.jpg|thumb|[[Jaffa orange]]s and [[Judaica]] at Mahane Yehuda.]]
Mahane Yehuda market is bounded by [[Jaffa Road]] to the north, [[Agrippa II|Agrippas]] Street to the south, Beit Yaakov Street to the west, and [[Alliance Israélite Universelle|Kiach]] Street to the east.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://israeltours.wordpress.com/2008/05/31/map-mahane-yehuda-market/ |title=Map of Mahane Yehuda Market |publisher=Israel Tour Guide}}</ref> 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 that all used to be 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 (Strawberry) Street<ref name="visiting" />—until the municipality changed the name of Agas St. to Yaakov Eliyahu Banai St.<ref name="streets">{{cite web |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/jerusalem-residents-fight-city-to-keep-street-names-of-old-1.403036 |last=Hasson|first=Nir|title=Jerusalem residents fight city to keep street names of old|work=[[Haaretz]] |date=December 23, 2011|access-date=September 6, 2012}}</ref>

==History==
In 1887 the neighborhood of [[Mahane Yehuda (neighborhood)|Mahane Yehuda]] was established on the north side of [[Jaffa Road]]. It was founded by three business partners—Johannes Frutiger (a German Protestant and owner of the largest bank in [[Ottoman Palestine]]), Shalom Konstrum, and [[Joseph Navon]]—and was named after Navon's brother, Yehuda.<ref name="visiting" /> On the south side of the street to the west stood another neighborhood, [[Beit Ya'akov, Jerusalem|Beit Ya'akov]], founded in 1885.<ref name="dovid">{{cite book |last=Rossoff |first=Dovid |title=Where Heaven Touches Earth |year=1998 |publisher=Guardian Press |isbn=0-87306-879-3}}</ref>

At the end of the 19th century, a marketplace was established on an empty lot to the east of Beit Ya'akov and across the road from Mahane Yehuda which was owned by the [[Sephardi Jews|Sephardi]] [[Jacob Valero|Valero]] family;<ref name="visiting" /> this market was known as ''Shuk Beit Yaakov'' (Beit Yaakov Market).<ref name="dovid" /> Here Arab merchants and [[fellah]]een sold their goods to the residents who lived outside the [[Old City (Jerusalem)|Old City]]. As the new neighborhoods outside the Old City grew, the Beit Yaakov Market grew apace with more stalls, tents and pavilions.<ref name="dovid" />
[[File:Potato-Bourekas-11-08-2024_-_Jerusalem,_Israel.jpg|thumb|Various types of [[bourekas]], a savory pastry of [[Sephardic Jewish cuisine|Sephardic origin]], sold at the market]]
Bourekas sold at Mahane Yehuda Market, [[Jerusalem]]. This pastry originated from the Sephardic Jews of the [[Ottoman Empire]]

Under [[Palestine (region)#Ottoman rule (1841–1917)|Ottoman rule]], the market expanded haphazardly and sanitary conditions worsened. The Etz Chaim [[Yeshiva]] opened a few shops in the market, using the rent income to help fund the yeshiva.<ref>{{Citation |title=The History of Shuk Machane Yehuda |url=https://en.machne.co.il/category/history }}</ref>  In the late 1920s, the [[Mandatory Palestine|British Mandate]] authorities cleared out all the merchants and built permanent stalls and roofing.<ref name="visiting" /> Afterwards the market began to be known as the Mahane Yehuda Market, after the larger neighborhood.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wager|first=Eliyahu|title=Illustrated Guide to Jerusalem|year=1988|publisher=The Jerusalem Publishing House|page=218}}</ref>

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 Jews|Iraqi Jewish]] descent acquired shops there.<ref>{{Citation |title=All Shuk Up: Returning to the Marketplace |url=http://presentense.org/magazine/all-shuk-up-returning-to-the-marketplace |date=Nov 3, 2009 |author=Yonah, Yaffa |journal=PresenTense |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727184427/http://presentense.org/magazine/all-shuk-up-returning-to-the-marketplace |archive-date=2011-07-27 }}</ref> Today the Iraqi Market is located off Mahane Yehuda Street.
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 2510 Geography of Israel ירושלים שוק מחנה יהודה.JPG|thumb|A [[halvah]] seller arranges his wares.]]

In the 2000s, major renovations were made to the Mahane Yehuda Market, including infrastructure work, repaving roads and covering some open areas.<ref name="visiting" />  The market's Board of Directors worked to make at least some of these changes in response to a decrease in visitors after terrorist attacks in 1997 and 2002 killed 23 people.<ref name="toi">{{cite web |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/savvy-entrepreneurs-introduce-a-diy-guide-to-jerusalems-vibrant-mahane-yehuda/ |last=Steinberg|first=Jessica|title=Savvy entrepreneurs introduce a DIY guide to Jerusalem's vibrant Mahane Yehuda|work=The Jerusalem Report|date=August 10, 2012|access-date=September 6, 2012}}</ref> Changes driven by the Board included renovations to the streets and alleyways, but also included efforts to draw in cafes and boutiques that would entice more middle-class customers who might become frequent shoppers.<ref name="toi"/> According to Eli Mizrachi, chairman of the Mahane Yehuda Merchants Association, whereas shoppers used to come to buy produce, the "new generation" wants a place with entertainment, a place to sit and have a cup of coffee, and a place to shop for gifts.<ref name="jr">{{cite web |url=http://www.jpost.com/JerusalemReport/ArtsAndCulture/Article.aspx?id=273566 |last=Gradstein|first=Linda|title=Market Makeover|work=The Jerusalem Report|date=July 2, 2002}}</ref>
[[File:זהרי חמה.jpg|The front of the [[Zoharei Chama Synagogue]], across from the Shuk.  The sun clock pictured at the top of the building is the first clock in Jerusalem, erected with the synagogue building in 1909.|thumb]]
In the mid-2000s, [[Ethiopian people|Ethiopian]] food sellers began to appear in and around the market.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/About/Press+Room/Jewish+Agency+In+The+News/2006/2/feb26jta.htm |title=Veteran Ethiopian Israeli community divided on Falash Mura's immigration |last=Kraft |first=Dina |date=February 26, 2006 |access-date=July 7, 2010 |publisher=[[Jewish Agency for Israel]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807060538/http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/About/Press+Room/Jewish+Agency+In+The+News/2006/2/feb26jta.htm |archive-date=August 7, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ethiopianrestaurant.com/israel/ethiopian_spice_shop.html |title=Ethiopian Spice Shop |year=2006 |access-date=July 7, 2010 |publisher=ethiopianrestaurant.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091216193435/http://www.ethiopianrestaurant.com/israel/ethiopian_spice_shop.html |archive-date=December 16, 2009 }}</ref> In addition, a number of "trendy shops and cafés" began appearing among the market's retail stalls."<ref name="new">{{cite web |url=http://israel21c.org/culture/urban-art-spices-up-jerusalems-famous-machane-yehuda-market|title=Urban art spices up Jerusalem's famous Mahane Yehuda market|publisher=Israel 21c.org |date=October 30, 2011|access-date=September 4, 2012}}</ref> New "non-Middle Eastern" restaurants include eateries such as "Pasta Basta," specializing in Italian pasta dishes,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jpost.com/ArtsAndCulture/FoodAndWine/Article.aspx?id=255996 |last=Minsky|first=Loren|title=Top 5 Winter Warmers in Jerusalem|work=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |date=February 2, 2012|access-date=September 5, 2012}}</ref> "Fish and Chips," described by one guide book as "the only fish and chips bar in Jerusalem,"<ref name="jr"/><ref>[http://www.nileguide.com/destination/jerusalem/restaurants/fish-and-chips/1617312 "Fish and Chips," "NileGuide: for travelers by locals," retrieved September 5, 2012]</ref> and "Ha'Agas 1," a vegetarian restaurant.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.happycow.net/reviews.php?id=22468 |title='Ha'Agas 1,' Vegetarian kosher restaurant|publisher=HappyCow.net|access-date=September 5, 2012}}</ref> Other recent additions to the market's stalls include an espresso bar, "hip jewelry" stores, and designer clothing "boutiques".<ref name="mitnick"/><ref name="tiuli">{{cite web |url=http://www.tiuli.com/track_info.asp?lng=eng&track_id=96 |title=Shuk Mahane Yehuda &ndash; The New Trend in Jerusalem |publisher=www.tiuli.com |access-date=September 4, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/shazif-invades-the-shuk-1.171764 |title=Shazif Invades the Shuk: Among the vegetable and meat stalls of Jerusalem's open-air market are a relatively new Italian coffee house, gourmet delicatessen and bistro. Is Mahane Yehuda on its way to becoming a yuppie stronghold? |last=Palti |first=Michael |date=October 12, 2005 |access-date=July 3, 2011 |work=Haaretz}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/32560/from-cheap-to-chic-jerusalem-shuk-goes-upscale/ |title=From Cheap to Chic &ndash; Jerusalem shuk goes upscale |last=Elliman |first=Wendy |date=May 25, 2007 |access-date=June 17, 2010 |publisher=Israel Press Service}}</ref> Three new designer clothing stores opened in 2007 alone.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jpost.com/Home/Article.aspx?id=52377 |title=Designs on the Shuk |last=Wiessen |first=Laura |date=February 22, 2007 |access-date=June 17, 2010 |work=The Jerusalem Post}}</ref>
 
[[File:Mahane Yehuda Market ap 035.jpg|thumb|Bread and [[pita]] vendor.]]
Changes in the market have transformed the area into a "night spot," with bars featuring specialty drinks, live music, and singers.<ref name="jr"/> The change has been so pronounced that a ''[[The Jerusalem Post|Jerusalem Post]]'' article listed one shuk restaurant as one of the five highest-rated restaurants in the city for romantic dates.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jpost.com/Travel/Jerusalem/Article.aspx?id=257504 |last=Minsky |first=Loren|title=Top 5 Jerusalem Date Hotspots|work=The Jerusalem Post|date=February 2, 2012|access-date=September 9, 2012}}</ref> The shuk also now hosts special events like the "Balabasta" dance and music festival, launched in 2010, which attracts large crowds that remain until late at night, in areas that used to be deserted.<ref name="jr"/> The annual festival includes street performances, artwork, puppet shows, and events linked to the market's foods, such as chili-eating contests and produce-carving workshops.<ref name="bal">{{cite web |url=http://www.gojerusalem.com/discover/item_14151/Balabasta-Festival-2012-in-Shuk-Machane-Yehuda |title=Balabasta festival 2012 in shuk Mahane Yehuda|publisher=Go Jerusalem|access-date=September 6, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jpost.com/VideoArticles/Video/Article.aspx?id=229174 |title=CITYbites: Night festivals in Mahane Yehuda market|work=The Jerusalem Post|date=July 13, 2011|access-date=September 6, 2012}}</ref>

While some supporters of changes to the market claim that the revitalized shuk has actually helped to revitalize the whole city,<ref name="jr"/><ref name="heart">{{cite web |url=http://www.jpost.com/VideoArticles/Video/Article.aspx?id=229169 |last=O'Sullivan |first=Arieh |title=Open air market at heart of Jerusalem's revival |work=The Jerusalem Post|date=July 13, 2011|access-date=September 6, 2012}}</ref> others are less enthusiastic about the changes, noting that real estate prices have quadrupled since the 2000s, forcing out many older shops (like vegetable and fish shops) that were staples of the market.<ref name="jr"/> They fear that the arrival of chain stores is "part of a global phenomenon that may erase local culture."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.haaretz.com/travel-in-israel/aroma-versus-mahane-yehuda-market-1.250596 |last=Frosh |first=Tahel|title=Aroma versus Mahane Yehuda Market|work=Haaretz |date=July 28, 2008 |access-date=September 6, 2012}}</ref>

==Tourism==
[[File:Machne Yehuda Market - Boutique1.JPG|thumb|A boutique in the marketplace.]]
[[File:Mahane Yehuda Shuk synagogue.jpg|thumb|Beit Zvul, a storefront synagogue.]]
The [[Jerusalem Municipality]] has invested millions in modernizing the center of Jerusalem and creating many pedestrian malls in order to elevate commerce, tourism, and culture.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jerusalem's Heart is Beating Again|url=http://timeout.co.il/en/jerusalem/jerusalems-heart-beating|publisher=[[Time Out (magazine)|TimeOut]]}}</ref> [[Nir Barkat]], former mayor of Jerusalem, said, "We realized if we wanted to increase our market share of tourism and the time people spend in Jerusalem, nightlife is key". In recent years, as part of this strategy, many bars and restaurants have opened in the alleyways of the Mahane Yehuda market to draw young and sophisticated customers.<ref name ="timeout">{{cite web|title=Night Owls: Jerusalem After Dark|url=http://timeout.co.il/en/nightlife/night-owls-2|date=31 May 2014|publisher=[[Time Out (magazine)|TimeOut]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Jerusalem emerges as the capital of culture|url=http://www.israel21c.org/travel/jerusalem-emerges-as-the-capital-of-culture/}}</ref> Free [[Wi-Fi]] internet access is now available to customers in some of the market's shops.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jpost.com/ArtsAndCulture/FoodAndWine/Article.aspx?id=228132 |title= CITYbites: Sweet things all around |work=The Jerusalem Post|date=July 6, 2011|access-date=September 6, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewlicious.com/2009/10/jerusalem-shuk-tweetup-this-sunday/ |title=Jerusalem Shuk TWEETup |publisher=Jewlicious.com|date=October 15, 2009|access-date=September 6, 2012}}</ref>

A self-guided tour of the market called [http://www.machne.co.il/en/category/the-machane-yehuda-shuk-bites-ticket "Shuk Bites"] includes a map with a pre-planned route through the market and "punch-card" vouchers that allow visitors to sample a variety of foods and drinks.<ref name="progress">{{cite web|url=http://www.haaretz.com/culture/take-yourself-on-a-tour-of-jerusalem-s-famed-mahane-yehuda-market-1.415349|title=Take yourself on a tour of Jerusalem's famed Mahane Yehuda Market|date=February 28, 2012|work=Haaretz|access-date=September 5, 2012}}</ref><ref name="mapping">{{cite web |url=http://www.thejewishweek.com/special_sections/israel_travel/mapping_shuk |last=Eglash|first=Ruth|title=Mapping the shuk |work=[[The Jewish Week]]|date=May 15, 2012|access-date=September 6, 2012}}</ref>

Guided shopping and cooking tours are aimed at attracting a "new breed of culinary tourists."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://israel21c.org/travel/taste-israel/gourmands-discover-jerusalems-market/|last=Leichman|first=Abigail Klein|title=Gourmands discover Jerusalem's market|publisher=Israel21c.org|date=April 8, 2012|access-date=September 9, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512021131/http://israel21c.org/travel/taste-israel/gourmands-discover-jerusalems-market/|archive-date=May 12, 2012}}</ref>

===Artwork===
In 2011 the city-sponsored project "Tabula Rasa" (Blank Slate) supported urban artwork decorating walls, concrete surfaces, and even the trash bins of the market.<ref name="new"/> Street artist Itamar Paloge, curator for the project, recruited some 30 other artists from schools of art and photography in the city, including Bezalel, Hadassah, and Musrara, in addition to local sculptors, painters, photographers, and various artists, including street artists.<ref name="new"/> Jerusalem mayor at the time [[Nir Barkat]] noted that the project is a joint venture between the merchants, the Student Union, and the municipality. Barkat stressed that Mahane Yehuda has become more than a market: it is an important part of the city's public space &ndash; and it's a unique part because of the way Jews and Arabs bargain shop side-by-side in its crowded alleyways and streets.<ref name="new"/>

Beginning in January 2015 the metal shutters and doors of the shops became an after-hours attraction as they were [[spray paint art|spray painted]] by [[street artist]] [[Solomon Souza]].<ref name=Ghert/><ref>{{cite news|last1=Levi|first1=Sarah|title=The Artist's Temple|url=http://www.jpost.com/Magazine/The-artists-temple-436116|access-date=22 February 2016|publisher=Jerusalem Post|date=2 December 2015}}</ref> Souza's partner in the project, Berel Hahn, arranged permission from the shopkeepers.<ref name=Ghert/><ref name=faces/> As of July 2016, Souza had spray-painted more than 250 of the 360 shutters in the market.<ref name=Ghert>{{cite web|last1=Ghert-Zand|first1=Renee|last2=Tress|first2=Luke|title=Young artist turns Jerusalem's market into gallery of famous faces|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/young-artist-turns-jerusalems-market-into-gallery-of-famous-faces/|access-date=28 February 2017|publisher=Times of Israel|date=29 February 2016}}</ref><ref name=faces>{{cite news|title=A Market for Faces |first=Vandana|last=Kalra|access-date=28 February 2017|publisher=[[The Indian Express]]|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/a-market-for-faces-2916390/|date=16 July 2016}}</ref>

<gallery>
File:Golda Meir mural at Mahane Yehuda Market.jpg|Metal doors with image of [[Golda Meir]]
File:Jonathan Pollard mural at Mahane Yehuda Market.jpg|[[Jonathan Pollard]]
File:Spray-painted portraits at Mahane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem.jpg|(L. to r.) Rabbi Shlomo ben David Lakein, [[Naomi Shemer]], and a local storeowner
File:David Ben-Gurion mural at Mahane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem.jpg|Upside-down portrait of [[David Ben-Gurion]]
File:Mahane Yehuda Market mural2.jpg|Local storeowners
File:Mahane Yehuda Market mural4.jpg|Arab portrait
File:Hadassah Spira Epstein spray paint portrait.jpg|[[Hadassah (dancer)|Hadassah]]
File:PikiWiki Israel 49778 summer in jerusalem, 2016.jpg|[[Yossi Banai]]
</gallery>

==Management==
Machane Yehuda Management, which includes representatives from a variety of merchants, oversees the market's business development, in dialogue with Jerusalem's city hall, Ministry of Health, and other government entities.<ref name="ew"/> The market's new internet website was an initiative of three firms linked to Jerusalem entertainment and tourism: GoJerusalem.com, More Tourism & Gastronomy, and Action Packed Media.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.machne.co.il/en/category/about-machne |title=About |publisher=Mahane Yehuda|access-date=September 7, 2012}}</ref>

== Restaurants ==
One notable restaurant in the market is Azura, a restaurant established in the 1950s. Known for its traditional [[Mizrahi Jewish cuisine]], with a focus on [[Turkish cuisine|Turkish]], [[Iraqi cuisine|Iraqi]], and [[Syrian cuisine|Syrian]] dishes, Azura is considered a very popular restaurant locally.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Sherwood |first=Harriet |date=2011-07-27 |title=Jerusalem promotes culinary attractions alongside religion and history |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/view-from-jerusalem-with-harriet-sherwood/2011/jul/27/israel-israel |access-date=2024-06-05 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Azura |url=https://asif.org/en/restaurants/azura/ |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=Asif |language=en-US}}</ref> Notable dishes include [[moussaka]], [[Stuffed eggplant|meat-stuffed eggplant]], [[kubbeh]] and [[Sofrito (stew)|sofrito]].<ref name=":1" /> This longstanding establishment evokes working-class nostalgia in Israel, and it was famously commemorated by Israeli singer [[Yossi Banai]] in a well-known song on his eponymous 1987 album.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Choufan |first=Matan |date=2023-03-19 |title=How Writers and Musicians Helped Create the Myth of the Israeli ‘Workers’ Restaurant |url=https://asif.org/en/how-writers-and-musicians-helped-create-the-myth-of-the-israeli-workers-restaurant/ |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=Asif |language=en-US}}</ref>

Machneyuda is another popular restaurant in the market. Chefs in the open kitchen prepare contemporary dishes based on fresh ingredients sourced from the market, served swiftly amidst lively music.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Machneyuda |url=https://asif.org/en/restaurants/machneyuda/ |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=Asif |language=en-US}}</ref> The restaurant, founded by international chefs [[Assaf Granit]] and Uri Navon, is known for dishes such as the Kurdish pastry kaddeh, truffle polenta, and ''shakshukit'', a dish including [[kebab]] in yogurt-tahini sauce.<ref name=":2" />

Adjacent to the market lies the Ima restaurant, specializing in Iraqi and [[Kurdish cuisine|Kurdish]] cuisine and famous for its kubbeh soup.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-06-07 |title=Fire causes ‘significant damage’ to renowned Ima restaurant in downtown Jerusalem |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/fire-causes-significant-damage-to-renowned-ima-restaurant-in-downtown-jerusalem/}}</ref>

==Clientele==
The market's mixture of shops and restaurants, which includes both kosher and halal establishments, attract residents and tourists, Israelis from Jerusalem and other parts of the country, rich and poor, young and old, religious and secular, Jews and non-Jews, including members of the Arab community.<ref name="mitnick"/><ref name="jr"/><ref name="heart"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/magazine/feeling-they-are-losing-jerusalem-orthodox-and-secular-jewish-residents-join-forces-1.415809 |last=Livneh |first=Nen |title=Feeling they are 'losing' Jerusalem, Orthodox and secular Jewish residents join forces|work=Haaretz |access-date=September 6, 2012}}</ref> An estimated 200,000 people visit the shuk weekly.<ref name="jr"/> With over 20 bars and at least 10 restaurants, the “Shuk” is where the nightlife is happening in Jerusalem.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Anders |first1=Benzion |title=Shuk by Night |url=https://t.exploreisrael.com/israel-blog/shuk-night |website=Explore Israel.com |access-date=25 December 2023}}</ref> With the tensions that are often pronounced among different ethnic, religious, and social groups, the shuk has been called "a national treasure."<ref name="jr"/>

==Hours of operation==
Although some restaurants and cafes within Mahane Yehuda remain open on Shabbat and late into the night, food vendors normally follow a Sunday through Thursday schedule 8:00&nbsp;am–7:00&nbsp;pm, and a Friday schedule 8:00&nbsp;am to approximately 3:00&nbsp;pm.<ref name="FAQ"/> Sites with entertainment that do remain open late at night normally must adhere to the city's ban on loud music after 11:00&nbsp;pm, with the exception of [[Yom Ha'atzmaut|Israel Independence Day]] and Purim, the two days of the year when the ban is lifted.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.machne.co.il/en/category/events |title=Events |publisher=Mahane Yehuda |access-date=September 6, 2012}}</ref>

==Transportation==
Several bus lines serve the market at the Agrippas end and [[Jerusalem Light Rail]],  has a Mahane Yehuda station on Jaffa Road, across from the market.<ref name="lr">{{cite web |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/jerusalem-s-light-rail-system-opens-to-the-public-after-years-of-delays-1.379436|last=Rosenberg |first=Oz|title=Jerusalem's light rail system opens to the public after years of delays|work=Haaretz|date=August 19, 2011|access-date=September 7, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://forward.com/articles/144190/jerusalem-rail-brings-city-closer-together/ |last=Jeffay|first=Nathan|title=Jerusalem rail brings city closer together|work=[[The Forward]]|date=October 14, 2011|access-date=September 7, 2012}}</ref>  The new light rail stop has been linked both to the revival of the market and to plans for changes in the area surrounding it.<ref name="heart"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://israelity.com/2011/03/07/a-revitalized-downtown-jerusalem-with-skyscrapers/ |last=Blum |first=Brian |title=A revitalized downtown Jerusalem &ndash; with skyscrapters |date=May 7, 2011 |access-date=September 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512123533/http://israelity.com/2011/03/07/a-revitalized-downtown-jerusalem-with-skyscrapers/ |archive-date=May 12, 2012 }}</ref>

==Notable residents==
{{Quote box |width=180px |align=right |quoted=true |salign=right
 |quote  =<poem>
Above a vegetable store
The building is empty now
The walls bare and worn

Yet immersed and sway
Reminiscent of holidays,
Of scented jasmine
Of an old tune that rings
Summoning to a feast
</poem>
 |source =From ''1 HaAgas Street''<br>by [[Ehud Banai]]<ref name="tiuli"/>
}}The first generation of the [[:Category:Banai family|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. (#1 HaAgas Street has been renumbered as #13 Eliyahu Yaakov Banai Street.<ref name="tiuli" />) [[Ehud Banai]], a family member, wrote a song entitled "1 HaAgas Street", which describes the life and atmosphere at the family home.<ref>{{Citation
 | title = History of the Banai Family on 1 HaAgas Street.
 | url = https://translate.google.com/translate?prev=hp&hl=en&js=y&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jerusalem.muni.il%2Fjer_sys%2Fpicture%2Fatarim%2FToursite_form_atar.asp%3Fsite_id%3D8741%26pic_cat%3D1%26icon_cat%3D5%26york_cat%3D8%26type_id%3D329&sl=iw&tl=en&history_state0=
 | journal = Jerusalem Municipality
 | access-date = November 8, 2009
}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web |year=2011 |title=Company description |url=http://markets.ft.com/tearsheets/businessProfile.asp?s=RMLI:TLV |access-date=June 28, 2011 |publisher=The Financial Times Ltd.}}</ref>

==Holiday markets==
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 3411 Jewish holidays.JPG|left|thumb|Merchant selling chickens for ''[[kapparot]]'' before [[Yom Kippur]], circa 1983.]]
Before [[Rosh Hashana]], the New Year, thousands of shoppers shop in the market for foods based on different holiday traditions: everything from pomegranates, dates, and assorted honey to fish heads.<ref name="rh">[http://www.jpost.com/Travel/Jerusalem/Article.aspx?id=239839 Minsky, Loren, "Feeling the holiday spirit at Mahane Yehudah," The Jerusalem Post, September 28, 2011, retrieved September 6, 2012]</ref> In the days between Rosh Hashana and [[Yom Kippur]], a ''shuk kapparot'' ([[kapparot]] market) opens beside the Mahane Yehuda Market, where patrons perform the custom of swinging a live chicken over their heads, symbolically [[Repentance in Judaism|transferring their sins]] to the chicken, which is then slaughtered and donated to the poor. During the days before the holiday of [[Sukkot]], a large tent opposite the Market, in Valero Square, hosts a ''shuk arba minim'' ([[Four Species]] market), where vendors sell [[lulav]]s, [[etrog]]s, and other ritual items used on this holiday.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jerusalemite.net/blog/3333/a-conversation-with-shimon-vaknin,-four-species-vendor |title=A conversation with Shimon Vaknin, four species vendor |date=12 October 2008 |access-date=5 February 2012 |publisher=jerusalemite.net}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gojerusalem.com/discover/item_13191/Shuk-Arba-Minim-2011 |title=Shuk Arba Minim 2011: 19 September, 2010 &ndash; 22 September, 2010 |publisher=Go Jerusalem |access-date=5 February 2012}}</ref>  For other holidays with traditional foods, such as [[sufganiyot]] for [[Hanukka]] or [[hamentashen]] for [[Purim]], the market offers many selections,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gojerusalem.com/discover/article_1248/Time-to-make-the-sufganiyot-in-Jerusalem |title=Time to make the sufganiyot in Jerusalem |publisher=Go Jerusalem|access-date=September 5, 2012}}</ref> sometimes with Purim hamentashen sold by vendors wearing holiday costumes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.frtemplebethel.org/feb_2009.pdf |title=Temple Beth El Bulletin, Fall River, Massachusetts |date=February 2009 }}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (featuring photo [page 1] of two Mahane Yehuda vendors wearing costumes while they sell hamentashen)</ref> In advance of the Jewish holiday of [[Tu Bishvat]], the Jewish "New Year for Trees," the market includes special displays of seeds, nuts, and dried fruits at discounted prices.<ref name="ew"/>

== Terrorist attacks ==
There have been no terrorist attacks on the market in recent years.  Mahana Yehuda is heavily guarded because it was a target for terrorist attacks during the [[Second Intifada]]:
* [[1997 Mahane Yehuda Market Bombings]]: On July 30, 1997, 16 people were killed and 178 wounded in two consecutive suicide bombings.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=hsJPK0PIJpH&b=883997&ct=1218091 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012040353/http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=hsJPK0PIJpH&b=883997&ct=1218091 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 12, 2007 |title=Terrorist Attacks in Israel, 1994–2006 |date=May 2, 2006 |access-date=2010-06-17 |publisher=The Israel Project }}</ref>
* On November 6, 1998, two terrorists died when their bombs exploded prematurely.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.israelsmessiah.com/israel_today/victims_list_1.htm |title=Victims List – Terrorist Attacks Against Israel |access-date=2010-06-17 |publisher=israelsmessiah.com}}</ref>
* [[2002 Mahane Yehuda Market bombing]]: On April 12, 2002, a female suicide bomber detonated at the entrance to the market, killing 6 and injuring 104. The [[Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades]] claimed responsibility.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.factsofisrael.com/en/palestine-suicidebombs.shtml |title=Chronology of Palestinian Suicide Bombings |access-date=June 17, 2010 |publisher=Facts of Israel.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529165855/http://www.factsofisrael.com/en/palestine-suicidebombs.shtml |archive-date=May 29, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Carmel Market]]
*[[Cuisine of Jerusalem]]
*[[Economy of Israel]]
*[[Culture of Israel]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
*''Jerusalem, the culinary story'' by Ṭali Fridman, Anatoly Michaello, Kiryat Gat, 2010 (in Hebrew).

==External links==
{{Commons category|Mahane Yehuda Market}}
*[http://en.machne.co.il Official Website]
*[http://www.jpost.com/Travel/Jerusalem/Article.aspx?id=253341 "Top 5 Mahane Yehuda Hotspots," Jerusalem Post, January 12, 2012]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20121031034652/http://www.yourway.co.il/mahane_yehuda_market_jerusalem_virtual_tour.html Mahane Yehuda: virtual tour]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK3ARidg8BM&t=1s Mahane Yehuda Market in One Shot]

{{Jaffa Road}}{{Tourism in Jerusalem}}

[[Category:1887 establishments in Asia]]
[[Category:Late modern history of Jerusalem]]
[[Category:Jaffa Road]]
[[Category:Food markets]]
[[Category:Economy of Jerusalem]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Jerusalem]]
[[Category:Retail markets in Israel]]