Nachlaot is a group of 23 courtyard neighborhoods in central Jerusalem adjacent to the Shuk Mahane Yehuda Market known for its narrow, winding lanes, old style housing, hidden courtyards and many small synagogues. Established in the late 1870s outside the walls of the Old City, which was becoming increasingly overcrowded and unsanitary. Some of the courtyards remain Jewish orthodox while other areas are popular for rental to students and others. In the wake of gentrification projects in the area housing prices have risen steeply.
DROR, of Bourekas Ramle, takes great pride in the fact he has been making and selling bourekas at the same site for forty years. Bourekas are a family of baked filled pastries, possibly of Turkish or Balkan origin. Mahane Yehuda Market, often referred to as The Shuk, is a marketplace, originally open air, but now partially covered, in Jerusalem. Popular with both locals and tourists, it has more than 250 vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, fish, meat, cheese, nuts, seeds, spices, wines and liquors, clothing and shoes, housewares and textiles. In and around the market are falafel, shawarma, kebab, shishlik, knafeh, baklawa, halva and Jerusalem mixed grill stands, juice bars, cafes, and restaurants. The marketplace atmosphere is accentuated by vendors who shout out their prices. On Thursdays and Fridays the marketplace is filled with shoppers stocking up for the Jewish Shabbat, until the Friday afternoon sounding of the bugle that signifies the market will close for the Sabbath. In recent years, the shuk has emerged as a popular nightlife center with restaurants, bars and live music.
