Jaffa Road
A family jewelry and Judaica shop founded in Jerusalem. Current specialty-shopping listing explicitly names the shop. Established 1949.
Best for Family-run jewelry and Judaica since 1949 in Jerusalem
Family-Run — Jerusalem
4 stores · curated ORBIS register
Visit official site ↗Al-Attarin Street, Muslim Quarter souk, Old City, Jerusalem
Sea of Herbs sells za'atar, spice blends, and herbal remedies from a stall on Al-Attarin Street in the Old City's spice market, a trade the Al Muakkat family has kept for six generations. Brothers Isaac and Jacob now run the shop their father Adel inherited, sourcing and blending the spices themselves rather than reselling wholesale mixes.
Best for Fresh za'atar and spice blends from a six-generation family stall
Visit official site ↗Balian — Armenian Ceramics
Heritage HouseNablus Road, near Damascus Gate, Jerusalem
Balian has painted ceramic tiles in Jerusalem since 1922, when Neshan Balian Sr. and Megerditch Karakashian were brought from Kütahya to restore the tilework on the Dome of the Rock. Marie Balian's pieces have since hung in the Smithsonian and the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Nablus Road workshop is now run by her son, Neshan Balian Jr., the family's fourth generation.
Best for Museum-quality hand-painted tile murals and custom commissions
Visit official site ↗Karakashian — Jerusalem Pottery
Heritage HouseVia Dolorosa, Old City, Jerusalem
Jerusalem Pottery continues the Karakashian family's Armenian ceramic tradition in Jerusalem. Hagop Karakashian's hand-painted work includes tile murals and name plaques alongside plates and other pottery. The family's history also includes the Old City's multilingual street-name tiles, made by the preceding generation.
Best for Hand-painted Armenian ceramics and custom name or mural tiles
Jerusalem Pottery is the Karakashian family's Armenian ceramics workshop. Its history in Jerusalem began in 1919, when Megerditch Karakashian arrived as part of a group invited to work on tiles for the Dome of the Rock. The family subsequently developed a pottery tradition that included both decorative pieces and architectural tile work.
The second generation's work can be seen in the Old City's street-name tiles. Stepan and Berge Karakashian made Arabic and English signs in the 1960s, with Hebrew added later. Hagop Karakashian represents the third generation and continues the family's hand-painted ceramic work.
The current catalogue includes custom tile murals and name plaques. Plates and other household ceramics offer smaller purchases. A mural involves decisions about dimensions and layout that differ from choosing a single plate. For a custom order, discuss the surface and wording as well as the design. The family's historical Via Dolorosa workshop should not be used as an unchecked present-day address, since later reporting describes a relocation within the Old City.
Visit official site ↗Curated ORBIS register · official links shown where recorded