Nazareth Old City Souk
Wander through the ancient market lanes of Nazareth Old City, the largest Arab city in Israel, where centuries-old stone buildings house spice merchants, sweet shops, and artisans in a living Middle Eastern souk.
- 1
Souk Entry Gate
Enter the Nazareth Old City through the main souk gate where the ancient market begins immediately, stalls loaded with Middle Eastern spices, nuts, and sweets flanking the stone-paved lane as it descends toward the Basilica.
- 2
Spice Market
Browse the spice market where large sacks of sumac, za'atar, cumin, and turmeric fill the narrow lanes with fragrance, the merchants calling out their prices in Arabic to a flow of local shoppers and visiting tourists.
- 3
Sweet Shops
Taste from the sweets shops producing fresh knafeh, baklava, and mamoul pastries, the traditional Arab confectionery arts displayed in shop windows heavy with honey-drenched pastry and fresh nut-filled cookies.
- 4
Stone Arch Lane
Walk the lane of stone arches where medieval buildings create vaulted passages over the market street, the architecture unchanged for centuries as the commercial life of the old city has continued beneath these ancient stones.
- 5
Artisan Quarter
Find the artisan quarter where woodworkers, copper smiths, and textile merchants maintain traditional craft trades in small workshops opening directly onto the souk lanes in the manner unchanged for generations.
- 6
Old City Rooftop
Climb to a rooftop viewpoint over the Old City where the minarets, church towers, and stone roofscape of Nazareth spread in a panorama revealing the density and antiquity of this extraordinary urban landscape.