Food in the Muslim Quarter

Close-up of sweets piled in a cylinder shape.

Jaffar’s Sweets shop again:

Hand-painted sign at a butcher’s shop. I should have asked the price of pigeons per kilo.

Clothing in the Muslim Quarter

These dresses for little girls aren’t costumes. They’re for celebrations.

Colourful padded bras are very popular.

People in the Muslim Quarter

Beggar at the Damascus Gate. It was a Friday, so a lot of people were going through the gate to the Dome of the Rock. I was able to take this photo when there was a gap in the crowd.

I haven’t taken photos in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City for years. I went recently with a group as part of a Photo Meetup. It was very interesting to see the non-touristy parts of the shuk, where people buy housewares, clothing, and food instead of souvenirs and soft drinks. We did experience some low-level harassment (a man tried to squash me between a pushcart and a market stall but I was able to squirm out of the way; another woman, taking a picture from a kneeling position, got a whack in the face when someone walked deliberately into her camera lens). But most people were OK and one woman seemed delighted when a member of our group asked to photograph her daughter.

Sunglasses display outside a shop in the Damascus Gate:

Boy buying sweets at the Jaffur Sweets shop:

This young woman has such a beautiful, serene face.

Vegetable vendor in front of pink and white wall:

Not a very good picture because the little girl was almost hidden behind the pink blouse on the left. Marcel asked the girl’s mother (smiling, in the middle) if he could photograph this pretty girl in a backpack and embroidered dress.