Machane Yehuda Market

About the Machane Yehuda Market

World-famous icons of Jerusalem include the Western Wall, the Tower of David and the Machane Yehuda market. The Western Wall and the Tower of David represent the religious, historical nature of Jerusalem, the place from which the Jewish people developed. Machane Yehuda market, however, represents the contemporary—and the future—heart of Jerusalem. Machane Yehuda integrates, in a unique way, the old and the new. Both a bustling marketplace and a neighborhood, it incorporates food, drink, shopping, bars, restaurants. The shuk still retains its most important characteristics: it remains authentic, with all the flavors and aromas, the colors and the traders' interaction with the crowds.

The Machane Yehuda market is widely recognized as a symbol of the Jerusalem, and for a very good reason: Jerusalemites see it as a place that represents them, symbolizes them, and gives them a unique identity in a larger Israeli social context. It is nicknamed "MachneYuda," which is also the name of one of the finest Israeli restaurants located in the market. But this name has something inexpressible to language. It is beyond words, because it reminds Jerusalemites of themselves, their childhoods, and the Jerusalem they love. Even though Jerusalem today has many shopping and entertainment centers, some are even at several hotels in Jerusalem, there is something about the Machane Yehuda market that attracts people, even without a shopping list. Perhaps it is the ability to simply be who we are--people who love life and who love Jerusalem.

We have established this site, first and foremost to pay our respects to this place, and to the traders, the people who live and work in the market, who have transformed Machane Yehuda into the brand it has come to be. The Machane Yehuda market is a symbol, and we believe that this symbol deserves honest and loyal representation online.

The second reason for this website is to provide natives and visitors alike with all the necessary information about this unique place--and how inspiring and welcoming it can be. We invite you to surf the site, to “get lost” in all the colors, the scents and the sounds of the market. We hope that this experience will inspire you to visit the market, and to love it, as much as we do. We welcome you to take a look at our varied Israel Food Tours.