It’s final: the Old City market is once again sporting tourists. The first Israeli began testing the waters last spring, and soon remembered the pleasures of strolling down the alleys, devouring the flavors and fragrances of the authentic East, and reacquainting ourselves with the Arab hospitality that for ages has transcended politics and public affairs. As on previous occasions, the Old City was the first to feel the wrath of current affairs. But the magic was too strong to resist for long. The first to return were the truly hardy, for whom connection to the land and its roots is truly a significant matter. They were soon followed by the tourists from abroad, and swiftly after, Israelis spending a pleasant weekend away from home – for some a first visit after over a decade of absence.
The Old City actually has two major markets that intersect – the north-south route and the more familiar west-east route.
The north-south market route that begins at the Damascus Gate and continues along the Cardo in the Jewish Quarter toward the Zion Gate is a combination of a Roman route, which extends to the north, and a Byzantine route, which extends to the south. This was, in fact, the city's main thoroughfare from 70 AD, when the Romans rebuilt the city they had recently destroyed, and the route of pilgrims to the Holy Land for 1700 years after. Below the Damascus Gate – for long, the city’s main entrance – lie the remains of the Roman Neapolis Gate and of the square inside the gate, soon to be reopen for visitors. Meanwhile, the market here retains its character, at its most authentic the farmer’s market where women sit on the steps selling vegetables and plants.
The main attraction along this route is culinary, whether that be the sweets shops near the Damascus Gate with their Knafe-Ataief, Halva, Sesame Bars and baklava, the fresh-ground coffee or the world-renowned Abu-Shukri Humus restaurant further back towards the Christian quarter. Near the Church of the Annunciation, rests the Moristan – an arts and crafts market, where clothes, handbags, material and artifacts, and Christian, Jewish and Muslim souvenirs have been sold for over two millennia. Located in the heart of the Christian quarter, it is characterized by a medieval fountain at its center and the Papa-Andreus Café that overlooks the square from its third floor perch at the market’s southern-most corner.
At the end of the Via Dolorosa, on the northern side of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, stands one of the city's most impressive buildings, the Alexander Nevsky Church, named for the 13th-century national hero and saint, who repulsed the Swedish invasion, thereby stopping the eastward advance of German Catholicism. Though desolate for some time, its pillars, reconstructed arch, and staircase are among the most magnificent remnants of ancient Jerusalem.
Close by, the ancient north-south route (Cardo Maximus) meets the more familiar west-east route (Cardo Decumanus), which leads nearly 70% of Jerusalem’s visitors from the Jaffa Gate to the Western Wall along David St. The city’s partition into four has held until the present time, dividing the city into what are roughly today's Jewish, Christian, Moslem and Armenian quarters.
Following the route of a river-bed, the west-east market thoroughfare is the essence of Jerusalem for most Israelis. It is very touristy, with mostly souvenir shops and some restaurants, and the prices are usually higher than for the same item just two alleys away. The municipality has over the years invested heavily in infrastructure development and sanitary improvement, making the environment more pleasant and less threatening. Security has been heightened, with cameras, policemen and municipality inspectors on the lookout against pickpockets and more.
During the Crusader era, the segment of the Cardo near today's intersection of the two market routes, was divided into four primary markets – the Perfume market, the Jeweler’s market, the Butcher’s market and the most important of them all – the spice market. Today, only the Butcher's market retains its original flavor, with carcasses hanging from butcher hooks. The smell here is nearly overpowering, but if you have the stomach for it, venture in and taste the amazing kebab, or visit the Abu-Taher restaurant with its very unique Jerusalemite dishes, which change according to season. Other markets nearby include the Cotton-makers market near the Temple Mount region, where today mainly household items are purchased by locals, and the Cardo, located in the Roman main street, where mostly Jewish shopkeepers sell primarily arts, crafts and Judaica, aimed mainly at the tourist trade. Excavated in 1971 according to the ancient Madaba map of Roman Jerusalem, here one may truly appreciate the actual width of the original Roman main roads – 21 meters in width. Not to be missed is the breathtaking mosaic mural of bible stories outside Abir Nasi’s Oil Press Gallery, inside which one may find a 1500-year old oil-press and remnants of the First-Temple era city wall.
Since the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967, the Old City’s markets have been retiled, with ramps installed for pushcart owners, its walls and domed over-hangings fortified, doors painted in uniform blues and greens and shop-display incursion distances carefully plotted to enable easy passage for visitors. Sewage and drainage systems have been dramatically improved, and lighting installed to provide a more user-friendly atmosphere throughout the day.
