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The Flea market in Jaffa

 

JAFFA FLEA MARKET - AUTHENTIC MIDDLE EASTER EXPERIENCE

 

 

Jaffa Flea Market

 

The Flea Market in Jaffa is one of the most unique markets in Israel. It began as a small market outside the walls of Jaffa in the 19th century to sell clothes, and food, and exchange money for pilgrims coming to Palestine, and today this colorful market offers a unique opportunity for authentic Israeli shopping such as rags, old lamps, second-hand clothes, and Israeli souvenirs.

 

Shuk-a-Pishpishim (from Hebrew "Shuk" - market, "Shuk-A-Pishpishim" - flea market) in Jaffa is the largest and most popular flea market in Tel Aviv and the entire central part of Israel, and has long gone beyond the framework of a place where you can buy antiques and outlandish jewelry on a cheap basis - both tourists and locals flock here, who either need all kinds of antiques or just looking for an authentic adventure.

 

WHY JAFFA FLEA MARKET?

 

flea market tel aviv

 

So, why are they going to the flea market? Modern Shuk is more than just a market; it is an entire neighborhood where you can walk down narrow streets, sit in beautiful cafeterias with a cup of good Israeli coffee, look around and take pictures, or look around and take pictures (owners and sellers of furniture and antique shops are allowed to sit down, lie down, and hug any of their products without asking any questions), visit a couple of designer boutiques, visit a real perfumer, and watch colorful street performances on summer evenings.

 

WHEN WAS THE JAFFA FLEA MARKET ESTABLISHED?

 

Shuk-a-Pishpeshim has existed on the Old Jaffa territory since the mid-19th century when trade flourished in Jaffa's port and the Old City was a cultural and religious center for pilgrims from all over the world. The main "collapses" of Shuk-A-Pishpeshim are found along Olei-Tsion Street and its surrounding lanes.

Today, the entire assortment of the Jaffa "flea's" "market part" can be roughly divided into three main categories:

 

1. "Consumer goods," which are spread out on the ground in city streets or under the central market awning.

 

2. Antique (or simply vintage) furniture, handcrafted dishes, jewelry, and other valuables.

 

3. Household goods brought by migrants from the former Soviet Union: Soviet symbols, Russian-language books, gramophone records, and even tin dishes.

 

WHAT TO BUY AT THE JAFFA FLEA MARKET?

 

what to see in jaffa flea market

 

Jaffa Flea Market is the safest and cheapest place to buy copper and leather products. Some, however, do not shy away from leaving the market with Soviet-made household appliances - less frequently for use for their original purpose, more frequently for decorating premises.

 

If previously residents of Tel Aviv's central districts, who had the opportunity to buy new things at higher prices and did not get any pleasure from digging in a pile of old things and communicating with gloomy and noisy market sellers, avoided Jaffa Flea Market, they now visit with pleasure, because it has become fashionable to buy here, and the eastern authenticity of the market has noticeably Europeanized. You can buy trendy vintage or antiques for your home at a piece rate here, which will look great with a modern set. And bargaining is necessary here: the point isn't just that you can reduce the originally stated price several times.

 

In addition, the cost of goods, as well as the Pishpeshim area itself, has risen significantly in recent years. Despite its favorable location and proximity to the sea, the area of Old Jaffa, south of Tel Aviv, was once a haven for beggars, drug addicts of all stripes, illegal immigrants, and members of the population on unemployment benefits. Apartments and premises for rent in this area were being rented for the price of a sitting mattress in Tel Aviv's northern suburbs. To stimulate the development of this area of the city, it was decided to populate it with someone who does not fall into the category of "dregs of society," but is willing to walk alongside them down the same stairwells. The mayor's office then came up with the idea of leasing space here to artists with significant benefits, which was implemented. The result was swift: poor artists began to occupy the best studio and gallery spaces first, then worse, then those who remained. As a result, property prices and rents naturally rose, the poor relocated to less expensive areas, and Jaffa became the center of Tel Aviv's creative life.

 

HOW CAN YOU FIND INTERESTING THINGS IN JAFFA FLEA MARKET?

 

jaffa tel aviv flea market

 

 

You must complete a detailed search if you want to find an antique or a piece of furniture here at a reasonable price. Chairs, armchairs, and dressers on the "first line" are priced similarly to those on the "Ikea" (even though the Israeli IKEA is not cheap at all), while some of the pull-out shelves may be defective, and delivery is always charged separately. Do you know where the majority of items for flea markets come from? In Israel, when a person dies and leaves behind a living space, his relatives can order the services of a special service that completely "cleans" the apartment, making it suitable for subsequent renting out, so that they do not have to rummage through the deceased's belongings themselves. The payment for their labor simply takes the form of furniture and other personal items of some monetary value. As a result, some of the items are immediately discarded, while others are disassembled by workers from this service and transported to the flea market in their trucks.

 

Rare coins, stamps, paintings, old posters, frescoes, and books in ancient Hebrew can be found on Shuk-a-Pishpeshim. Unfortunately for us, buyers and their sellers are aware of the true value of their exhibits and are wary of selling them too cheaply, especially since the area has become so popular with tourists that "their" buyers will not leave them now. There are streets in Jaffa Flea Market with shops selling secondhand goods, but these shops are no longer part of the flea market.

 

SHOPS OF JAFFA FLEA MARKET

 

SHOPS OF JAFFA FLEA MARKET

 

 

 

At Jaffa Flea Market, new shops, cafes, and restaurants open every month. Boutiques selling fashionable souvenirs, jewelry, and accessories, as well as exclusive clothing from well-known Israeli brands, are scattered throughout the market. A unique buzz has erupted around the new perfume shop Zielinski & Rozen, which offers personalized perfumes based on everyone's personal preferences, as well as the opportunity to sample various perfumery aromas emanating from candles, creams, and so on. You can even buy a jar of odorless cream here, and they will give you a bottle with the essence of your scent, which you can then mix at home.

 

There are numerous cafes and chocolate shops among the rubble of old furniture and ancient musical instruments where you can relax, have a tasty snack, and just have a good time. Tables in the street, shaded from the sun by white umbrellas, provide breathtaking views of the quaint houses built during the British Mandate or Napoleon's siege of Jaffa.

 

FOOD IN JAFFA FLEA MARKET

 

The most popular is the Italian trattoria "Italkia ba-Pishpishim," a new restaurant with original snacks and the unoriginal name "Flea Market" ("flea market"), and a cozy cafe "PUAA," where you can not only taste the most delicious apple strudel but also buy any piece of furniture you want. The entire furniture of PUAA and many other cafeterias in Pishpeshim, from chairs and carpets to napkins and porcelain cups, was purchased within a 500-meter radius. The dust from the Flea Market area was brushed off them and they were reinstalled on trading floors, giving them a new lease on life. How about fresh-squeezed juice? Almost every corner offers fresh juice made out of Israel's finest seasonal fruits and please don't forget the "100 beers bar" offering more than 102 Israeli draft beers with tasty snacks,

 

NIGHTLIFE AND LIVE MUSIC AT JAFFA FLEA MARKET

 

If you looking for some entertainment, the nights in Tel Aviv Flea Market provide live music with fantastic bars and restaurants, this is the place where you can find the funkiest crowd of Tel Aviv celebrating till the early morning hours and enjoying live music!

 

JAFFA FLEA MARKET OPENING HOURS

Shops:

 

Sunday - Thursday 08:00 - 18:00

Friday - 09:00 - 15:00 

 

Bars and Restaurants:

 

Sunday - Friday 11:00 - 03:00

Saturday - 12:00 - 02:00

 

 

BOOK A PRIVATE TOUR OF OLD JAFFA TO ENJOY AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE AT JAFFA FLEA MARKET!

 

 

 

ORDER NOW!

SLAVA BAZARSKY
PHONE: +972 53 4779797