Contested Commerce in Jerusalem's Old City Markets Nadera Karkaby
Conflict in Cities: Europe and the Middle East
Historically, the Old City of Jerusalem was the main commercial hub in Palestine—a key node in the wider Middle Eastern trade network. The dynamic movement of people and goods created vibrant markets in and around the Old City. The city has undergone enormous changes since 1967 when Israelis seized control of East Jerusalem—formerly under Jordanian control. Subsequently, the ingress of Israeli settlers in East Jerusalem has reshaped the Old City. Since the Second Intifada in 2000, the Old City markets have had to respond to access restrictions on Palestinian movement imposed through Israeli closure policies. These restrictions have not only profoundly affected the daily lives of Palestinian Jerusalemites, they have also significantly impacted the Old City’s economy and trade patterns. The local population makeup has dramatically altered, due to both in-migration by Palestinians keen to retain Israeli issued Jerusalem ID cards and out-migration by those who have been unable or unwilling to secure one. While these changes have created new hurdles for Palestinian residents, the access restrictions have not eradicated everyday Palestinian practices inside the Old City. Residents and shop owners continue to reside and work in the Old City, despite the daily pressures they face. This photo essay takes a journey through the Palestinian Old City markets, focussing on the impacts of the closure policies on local Palestinian vendors and their trade.
Crowds, exiting the Old City through Damascus Gate after the Friday midday prayer at the Haram al-Sharif, making their way out of the Old City. The crowd passes through the markets and stalls catering to their consumer needs. The weekly Friday prayer is a part of key rhythms in the local economy. During periods of unrest, stringent restrictions on movement are enforced by Israeli soldiers on Fridays at the checkpoints around Jerusalem and near the Old City to control the number of worshippers allowed to make their way to the Haram al-Sharif.
October 5th, 2009: the Israeli police and army installed checkpoints at the top of the Damascus Gate amphitheatre to minimise the number of people entering the Old City. Israeli authorities impose access restrictions on Palestinians when they deem it suitable for reasons of security. Palestinians are normally not involved in these decisions. Restrictions apply to all Palestinians, except those whose ID cards prove they are residents of the Old City. As a result of the closures, shopkeepers are often unable to open their stores, employees are unable to get to work, and customers find it difficult to enter the Old City. This can have negative consequences for commerce in the Old City.
Al-Wad Street runs from Damascus Gate to the Haram al-Sharif and Western Wall Plaza through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City. It is a key thoroughfare for Christians, Jews and Muslims on their way to their respective religious sites. The Christian Stations of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa cut through this street. Over 150 Palestinian shops selling Islamic goods line al-Wad Street. It is a vibrant residential and shopping street, which attracts commerce from locals, tourists and pilgrims. It is also a street which has been targeted for settlement by right-wing Israelis settlers. Today it is one of the most contested streets in the city—kept under constant surveillance and heavily patrolled by Israeli security forces.
This picture captures the ‘death’ of Suq al-Lahamin (the Butchers' Market). Here, the suq is closed apart from one shop. This suq was frequented by locals and clients from further afield who used to buy their meat here, but the clientele dwindled as families moved out of the Old City, due to the contentious pressures of occupation after 1967. Villagers and Palestinians with West Bank IDs are currently unable to entering Jerusalem due to the Israeli closure policies that were brought in with the Separation Barrier (wall).
In response to the rise in the number of tourists who throng to the Old City coupled with a shrinking ‘traditional’ client base, the Old City markets have begun to change. Today, bakeries, vegetable shops, and meat shops, have been converted into souvenir shops. Islamic goods and scarves are aimed at Palestinian Muslim clientele, many of whom visit from the Galilee, the Triangle and other areas within Israel. Their trips are often organised by the Islamic Movement from within Israel to encourage religious tourism to Jerusalem’s Old City. Inevitably, these visits take on a political nature and fuel the contested nature of the city.
Workers unloading goods from large vans in al-Anbiyaa Street, outside of Damascus Gate amphitheatre. This is part of the daily routine of Palestinian cart holders who deliver goods to the s h o p s i n s i d e t h e O l d C i t y. Palestinian business men are obliged by the Israeli authorities to transport their goods onto small hand held carts, which enable the delivery of merchandise down the steep ramps leading to Damascus Gate and then on to the Palestinian shops which line the narrow lanes of the Old City.
Israeli goods delivery from West Jerusalem to an Israeli shop on al-Wad Street, inside the Muslim Quarter of the Old City. The van parks adjacent to the shop to unload. Unlike their Palestinian counterparts, Israeli delivery vans are allowed to enter the Old City’s Muslim Quarter from St. Stephen's Gate, enjoying easier access. Israeli products are sold in both the Israeli and Palestinian shops in East Jerusalem.
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A cart holder pushing a meat delivery through Damascus gate, heading towards a butcher’s shop in Suq Khan al-Zeit, on a hot summers day. As a result of Israeli municipal restrictions on the Palestinian deliveries of goods by car/van into the Old City, traditional hand-held carts remain the dominant transportation method. As the picture shows, health and safety rules are not always observed while using this means of transportation.
Building materials for the renovation of Palestinian houses inside the Old City walls, are transported under strict restrictions, again using carts on the steep streets of the Old City. Small tractors are permitted to enter the Old City during certain hours. Permission to transport such material is required for each cart delivery.
The market used to be crowded with falaheen (villagers) from the villages around and historically connected to Jerusalem. where they sold their fresh fruit, vegetables and dairy products. Closure policies and the Separation Barrier have now forced the villagers to find new sources of income. The picture above shows a falahaa (villager) from Hebron (al-Khalil) in Damascus Gate selling household products. The goods in the plastic bags are repackaged in her family’s home, yet the lettering on the packages is in Hebrew. For villagers like her, dependency on the Israeli goods has increased following the construction of the Separation Barrier.
Suq al-Qattanien leads to one of the main entrances of the Haram alSharif. Muslim worshippers pass through this suq on their way to and from prayer. On Fridays, the suq is packed with locals and visitors leaving the Haram, searching for religious paraphernalia for themselves or as a gift for other Muslims. Many purchasers buy goods from this suq as a statement of their support for the Palestinian cause. Most of the goods today are imported from China and Damascus. Palestinian goods are hard to come by because of the heavy restrictions on importing goods from the West Bank.
Palestinian children selling goods at the Friday market next to the Bab al-Rahme Islamic Cemetery, using the cemetery walls as a display area for their goods. Poverty forces many Palestinian families in East Jerusalem to send their young children to work after school, on weekends and on holidays to supplement family income.
A refrigerator inside a Palestinian grocery store, filled mainly with dairy products. Four of the five shelves display products made in Israel that are sold in Jerusalem’s Palestinian neighbourhoods. Palestinian products from the West Bank are not allowed to enter Jerusalem, due to security restrictions. Palestinian culinary tradition uses different dairy products than its Israeli counterpart, but Palestinian Jerusalemites often have no choice but to use Israeli dairy goods as few alternatives are available for purchase.
Soldiers and Israelis on al-Wad Street in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City on Jerusalem Day. This holiday marks the city’s reunification’ by the Israelis following the 1967 war. It is celebrated by Israelis, who may come to East Jerusalem individually or in planned demonstrations. Here we see a radical transformation of al-Wad Street. On this day, many Palestinian shops in the Old City remain closed, in protest or by decree by the Israeli municipal authorities. In such situations, not only do local Palestinian businesses lose trade, but the entire character of the street and the daily lives of those who live and work on it are disrupted.
Conflict in Cities and the Contested State research project, supported by the ESRC (grant number RES-060-25-0015)
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