Ben Yehuda Street

One of Jerusalem’s prime hangout spots for locals and tourists alike, Ben Yehuda Street is a pedestrian mall extending between King George Street and Jaffa Road in downtown Jerusalem. Commonly referred to as the midrechov (a Hebrew portmanteau merging the words for "street" and "sidewalk"), Ben Yehuda has been closed to motorized traffic since 1983 – a trend that has since extended to several more streets in the surrounding area.

Ben-Yehuda attracts a constant throng of tourists, who mill about the many gift shops, stopping for falafel or ice-cream in one of the small eateries lining the street, which is also dotted with musicians and street performers. The occasional haggard prophet will try to get you to repent before the Rapture, proving that the Jerusalem Syndrome is more than just an urban myth.