Mahane Yehuda Market (the Shuk)

Mahane Yehuda Market, known locally as the Shuk, is Jerusalem's main produce market, stretching between Jaffa Road and Agrippas Street in downtown West Jerusalem, Israel. Dozens of covered lanes and open-air alleys hold stalls selling fruit and vegetables, fresh bread and rugelach, olives, cheeses, nuts, dried fruit, spices, halva, fish, meat and Judaica, along with small restaurants serving Iraqi-Kurdish, Georgian, Yemenite and Middle Eastern dishes. By day the market works as a neighbourhood grocery, with vendors calling prices and locals shopping for the week. After dark, many stalls close and the lanes fill with bars, cafes and live music, giving the Shuk a second life as a dining and drinking district. Painted shutters and street art make the covered lanes photogenic, and the market's inner streets, such as Etz Hayim and Mahane Yehuda Street, repay slow wandering. A typical visit takes one and a half to three hours, longer for a meal or tasting tour. Opening hours run from about 8:00AM Sunday to Thursday and close earlier on Friday afternoon, with most stalls shut on Saturday. Friday morning is the busiest and most atmospheric time, as shoppers stock up before Shabbat, but it is very crowded and moving through the aisles can be slow. The calmest period is a weekday morning, and the evening is best for the bars. Prices for produce, dried fruit, halva and spices are often quoted per hundred grams, so asking before ordering is wise, and tasting small samples is common. Pickpocketing can occur in the crowds, so bags should be kept closed. The market is free to enter and connects directly to the light rail stop on Jaffa Road, with the city centre and the Old City within a short ride. Some food stalls are kosher and close for Jewish holidays.