12. Havra Sokak

Izmir’s famous fresh food market is called Havra Sokak (Synagogue Street in English). This cozy but busy street is located in the heart of the old Jewish quarter. It is on one side of the historical open-air bazaar of Kemeraltı, a part of the old town. The street narrowed by vendor stalls, attracts shoppers and wanderers among the locals and the foreigners with its blend of colors, tastes and cacophony of sounds. Within its own out-of-tune harmony, these sounds can sometimes be ear rasping. However, they still add a lot to this bustling but spectacular setting. Besides of all the freshies it offers, this street is also a great place for observing human behaviour, like shopping habits, in a natural environment.

Havra Sokak has been named after the many synagogues in its immediate vicinity. It has always been a populous shopping area. For centuries, variety of languages like Hebrew, Ladino, Turkish, Greek and Armenian mainly would be heard among the communication between shoppers, shop owners and their workers. Once kosher food also was produced and sold here. A surviving sign of those days is the grape cluster relief and the Hebrew date 5660 (equal to 1900) on the keystone at the entrance of a once kosher wine factory. Today none of the shops here are run by Jews or sell kosher food. However, it is still popular for many community members to come around and buy especially fish, eggs, yoghurt, cheese, fresh fruit and vegetables.