Mea Shearim

Mea Shearim is one of Jerusalem's oldest ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighbourhoods, founded in the 1870s just north of the Old City in Israel. Its stone courtyards, narrow lanes and tightly packed apartment blocks are home to Haredi communities that follow strict modesty and Sabbath customs. Visitors see street notices in Yiddish and Hebrew asking for modest dress, men in black coats and hats, women in long skirts and head coverings, and children on errands. The main commercial street, Mea Shearim Street, and the lanes around it hold small shops selling religious books, prayer shawls, skullcaps, fabrics, household goods and kosher baked items, as well as wholesale clothing stores. The neighbourhood is a residential community and not a theme park, so visitors should dress conservatively: women in long skirts and sleeves, men in long trousers and shirts. Photography of residents is unwelcome and may provoke objections, and wandering into synagogues or study halls is not appropriate. A visit lasts about an hour, enough to walk the main street and a few side lanes. Weekday mornings are the best time, when shops are open and the area is lively but not hectic. Shops generally open from about 9:00AM and close early on Fridays ahead of Shabbat, and everything shuts on Saturday, when signs ask visitors not to enter by car. The area is also busy before major Jewish holidays when shopping peaks. Arrival is easiest by light rail to the Shivtei Israel stop, followed by an eight-minute walk, or by a short taxi ride from Damascus Gate. Some visitors join a guided walking tour with a local guide who explains customs and helps avoid awkward encounters. The neighbourhood is free to enter, and prices in shops are modest compared with tourist areas.