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Muristan Market and Aftimos Market

Muristan Market and Aftimos Market

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4.8
based on 8 traveler reviews

This is a bustling complex near the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, with colorful shops, restaurant, churches and various sites. Its boundaries are; the Christian Quarter Road from the west, the David Street from the south, the Butchers’ Market from the east, the Painters Market from the north, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

The Roman forum, which was a huge courtyard that served as an urban market, used to be in this area. The compound continues to this day to serve, among others, for commercial uses. During the crusader era, this place used to be the abode of the knights’ order named after John the Baptist (Saint John), or known as the “Hospitaller” order. The Hospitallers established in this area two churches (Santa Maria Grande and Santa Maria Latina), and a large and advanced hospital for the benefit of the Christian pilgrims. The origin of the name “Muristan” is an erroneous pronunciation of the word “Bimristan”, which means hospital in a Persian-Turkish dialect. Following the occupation of Jerusalem by Salah A-Din, his soldiers arrived at Jerusalem. Salah A-Din was a promising and successful army officer of Kurdish origins, who defeated the crusaders army. That’s when the area became known as “Bimaristan”, named after the crusader hospital located there. The name was erroneously converted to Arabic over the following years, and it remains till this day “Muristan”. This area was deserted again over the following years, and remnants of buildings and garbage piles accumulated in it. Only by the end of the 19th century did a new awakening start in this wide compound. The Germans began their construction in the area, building the Lutheran Church of Redemption with its pointed tower, where the crusader church “Santa Maria Latina” used to be located. Remnants of the crusader church were integrated into the current structure. The church was inaugurated in 1898 in the presence of Emperor Wilhelm the 2nd and his wife Augusta Victoria. Later on the Germans built additional buildings in the Muristan area: a school for boys and a center for the Lutheran church. On the 1st floor of the building which serves the Lutheran community and its leaders, they used the crusader cloister (a courtyard surrounded by arches), built by the order of the Knights of Saint John. The remaining plot was later sold on to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, which established a touristic market that replaced what used to be the crusader church “Santa Maria Grande”. The market was inaugurated in 1903. The entrepreneur of the project was Archimandrite Avtimus, and the Bazaar is named after him to this day. At the center of the market there is a magnificent water fountain, which was built in honor of 25 years of the rule of the Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid the 2nd. The fountain has recently been renovated, after decades of not operating, and next to it one can see two water troughs, which provided water to visitors in this area.
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google reviews

4.8
based on 8 traveler reviews
  • Lyn
    Lyn
    July 17, 2023

    Breathtaking experience, be prepared to endure scorching heat during warmer seasons, though

  • Nachum Applbaum
    Nachum Applbaum
    December 22, 2021

    In the heart of the Christian quarter is this very nice corner. The title someone gave here is a bit misleading. The Muristan isn't really a market! It is more a square with a variety of shops and cafes.

  • valentina bertini
    valentina bertini
    April 10, 2023

    Muristan is a small square in the center of old Jerusalem. Its name means “hospital” in Persian. The square is full of small shops (including excellent quality antiques), souvenirs and clothes. Nearby is the Lutheran Chur...

  • Can
    Can
    March 5, 2023

    A beautiful place surrounded by so many faiths

  • Richard Horn
    Richard Horn
    September 12, 2023

    Oriental market with good offers, very geared towards tourists. Little original

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