Old City Market - Sinjlawi

Within the walls, the Old City is divided into four vaguely defined quarters: Christian, Armenian, Jewish and Muslim.

We have lived in Jerusalem for 18 months and one of the highlights of our experience has been to go to the Old City of Jerusalem and chat with the owners of Sinjlawi. Some of my most prized treasures are those I have purchased from this wonderful shop but you need a lot of time just to look because there are so many beautiful things to see. 

The four brothers welcome you with open arms and through our association, we have come to love them as part of our extended family! This is certainly one of our favorite shops in the Old City of Jerusalem located at #63 David Street. 

Located in the Arab Quarter of the Old City, the Sinjlawi Market is a business that claims to be the oldest family business established 388years ago. As we would say in America, this shop has everything from soup to nuts! Don't take me literally . . . but they do have anything you might want when it comes authentic and quality merchandise from the Middle East.

The first time we visited this shop, we were met by a very friendly co-owner, Omar.  I loved his quirky green glasses and knew he was someone who had an out-of-the-ordinary sense of style because everywhere we looked, we saw something wonderful!  

In this shop we made our first purchase . . . a vintage photo of the Dome of the Rock at the Temple Mount. We wanted to send it to our adopted son, Omer, as we knew it would be especially meaningful to him.   

Omar Mohammed

Because of Omer, we have been drawn to learn more about his Islamic beliefs. There is a very interesting story how he came into our lives but suffice to say, he is so pure in heart and a devout Muslim. And . . . whenever I hear the "call to prayer" each day, I think of Omer and know how much he would love to be standing in our shoes.

He came to America in 2005 from Sudan under a refugee program seeking medical help when his leg had to be amputated. He came from a family of bedouin sheepherders and was completely illiterate and couldn't speak English. However, has learned to speak English (making that 5 languages he speaks) and since living in the US, has obtained a high school degree and has become an American citizen. He is currently working and attending college part-time and we are so proud to have him in our family! 

Currently, the four Sinjlawi brothers run the business: Omar; Mak Mood; Yousef and Ayman.  They grew up watching their father  Hasan Sinjlawi and grandfather make jewelry and have become ninth-generation jewelers. They transform stones from Eilat and Beersheba into masterful necklaces. Some of their materials come from broken Roman glass found in artifacts recovered from the Israel Museum.

This display of jewelry is made from ancient coins and Roman glass. We purchased widow's mites for each of our granddaughters as a special keepsake from the Holy City of Jerusalem. The widow's mite symbolically represents faith and we hope as our granddaughters wear their pendants, they will remember the story of the poor widow in Mark 12. 

There is so much traditional handmade jewelry one needs at least an hour to look around.

If you close your eyes to the old lady with the camera in the background, you will see some really spectacular necklaces made of 
antique Roman glass.  

We bought this very unusual necklace.  When I buy something really authentic, I am always curious to find out about the history as it makes that item even more special. The beads are amber and made of fossilized tree resin from southern Palestine by bedouins. The amber is used in jewelry but has also been used as a healing agent in folk medicine. It also has a very distinct scent and most certainly authentic.

There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents. Because it originates as a soft, sticky tree resin, amber sometimes contains animal and plant material as inclusions.

This is Omar's brother (Yousef) and co-owner. He always has a smile on his face and we often see him sitting in a chair at the front of the shop where he welcomes customers. Each brother has a sense of fashion and often show customers how to braid or fold their scarves in ways that are either more stylish or in line with Arabic fashions. 

Mak Mood (Mike) Sinjlawi, co-owner and jeweler. 

This shop has the oldest natural well in the Old City and upon our first visit to the shop, Omar invited us to look down into this ancient well.

In the meantime, Garth sits patiently while I explore!  He loves to look around the shops as much as I do and nearly every Monday we go to  this historical city just to absorb and experience the sites, smells, and sounds.  

Ayman Sinjlawi is such a cute young man and very anxious to become a first-time father. One day he pulled me aside and asked if I had any advice to share. His wife is due to have a baby boy any day/any minute, so he is staying close to his cell phone. 

There are beautiful art pieces  and a huge array of unique handmade embroidery. 

A plethora of cashmere scarves adorn the store.

Some of my favorite earrings are from Sinjlawi.

Beaded bracelets and necklaces of every tint and hue hang from hooks.

If there is ANYTHING a shopper is looking for, Omar will find it for you!  

All you have to do is ask.

And . . . just when you think you've seen everything, there is yet another room 

in the back and much more to explore!  

This is the back room at Sinjlawi. 

The core of Jerusalem, Old City, has a history that stretches back more than 
3,000 years and artifacts in this shop date back centuries.

Brass items, pottery, jugs and magnificent silver and gold jewelry that look hundreds of years old are placed throughout the store and sounds of the oud, a stringed instrument, are continually played through a boombox.  You definitely get a a Middle Eastern feel when you visit this shop. 

At left is a Turkish oud, a short-necked lute-type, pear-shaped stringed instrument.  How is that for a description?  It has 11 or 13 strings and is used in Middle Eastern music. One of our JC students purchased one.  It's such a beautiful instrument but unfortunately I don't have room to take one home.  

If you want to make your own jewelry, this is the place to find some very old beads.

We never get tired of visiting this shop because every time we go, we always 
see something we never noticed before!

It is always fun to sit down after walking all around the Old City and just chat with the owners.  Sadly, in another week, it will be time to say, "Until we meet again!" That will be a hard conversation to have. We have grown to love and appreciate the Sinjlawi family business!

One last look and "Shalom," which means peace.  

I smile at this photo because if you look closely, 

you will find my other half.