Markets, Shopping, Art Centers in Tel-aviv

The Machane Yehuda Market, or shuk, is the largest market in Jerusalem with over 250 vendors selling everything from fruit and vegetables to specialty foods, and clothing to Judaica.The market is the main traditional marketplace of Jerusalem and is an experience that must be part of any visit to Jerusalem, filled with fascinating sounds, sights, and smells. The Machane Yehuda Market is set between Aggripas and Jaffa Streets, with two main aisles and then many further small walkways once inside. It is a maze and myriad of sights, sounds, and smells, an intense sensory experience and memorable life experience! Just a ten-minute walk from the center of Jerusalem, the market is a fascinating place to stroll whether you are interested just in observing the magnificent sculpted displays of spices, mouthwatering array of foods, and stunning energy of the place, or if you want to get involved in real-market buying, negotiating and tasting!

The Israel Museum, Jerusalem is Israel’s largest cultural institution and is ranked among the world’s leading art and archeology museums. Founded in 1965, the Israel Museum, Jerusalem was extensively extended and refurbished reopening in 2010. The focus of the museum is on the art, Judaica and ancient artifacts of the Land of Israel and beyond, featuring the most extensive holdings of Biblical and Holy Land archaeology in the world. The museum has a collection of nearly 500,000 objects, representing a full scope of world material culture. While there is loads to see at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, there are a number of stand-out highlights. The Shrine of the Book houses the Dead Sea Scrolls which are some of the oldest Biblical scrolls ever found. Adjacent to this is an amazing model of Second Temple Era Jerusalem which reconstructs the topography and architectural character of the city as it was prior to its destruction by the Romans in 66 CE.

The Haifa Educational Zoo is an ideal place for families to visit while in Haifa. Originally built in 1949 by Pinchas Cohen as an education center for a neighboring school. After renovations in 2002 the zoo now hosts more than 100 species of wildlife, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and plantlife. Built on a beautiful nature reserve on Mount Carmel with views of the Mediterranean Sea, the zoo covers 35 dunams (8.6 acres) making it perfect for everyone, especially families with small children. Some of the zoo’s mammal features include; Lemurs, brown capuchin monkeys, meerkats, Bengal tigers, leopards, alpaca, honey badgers, lions, Syrian brown bears, baboons, and caracals. The zoo also has a special climate-controlled reptile house containing pythons, vipers, cobras, anacondas, racers, boas and various lizards. Birdlife in the zoo ranges from the nocturnal owls to the free- roaming peacocks which swarm the entrance to the path. Many of the zoo’s animals are natives of Israel including the Israeli wolf (also known as the Arabian wolf), ibex, porcupine (an orphan found in the area), camels, wild boars, jackals, foxes, black cobra, Palestinian viper, Griffon vultures and the rare Persian fallow deer who lives almost exclusively in the Upper Galilee on the small nature preserve of Nachal Kziv.

The Madatech National Science, Technology and Space Museum in Haifa, is a large museum crammed with hands-on activities that will please both adults and children. Not far from the Bahai Gardens, in the Hadar neighbourhood of Haifa, the museum is housed in the large edifice which is the old Technion building. The Madatech building was built in the early 1910s, visited by Albert Einstein in 1923 and then made into a museum in 1984. Today the museum hosts some 200,000 visitors annually, many of them children on school trips. The Madatech National Science, Technology and Space Museum can be broken up into five parts for mapping out. The ground floor of the main building contains the front desk, a café, a children’s play area, a gift store and several exhibits such as the history of the printing press and The Road to Safety Exhibition. In the Road to Safety Exhibition children and adults can sit side-by-side on crash simulator, operated only by a museum guide, which proves the need for seatbelts while driving. Be prepared, the crash is quite a jolt! Continuing up a narrow staircase (elevators are also on-site), the first floor comes to view. On the first floor are exhibitions such as the Natural Science Room with over 100 stuffed animals and birds all found in the Haifa area including eagles, mongooses and jungle cats. Other exhibitions include Puzzles & Games, Green Energy and Acoustics & Waves, all going into depths with hands-on displays and tools for everybody to benefit from. In the Green Energy exhibition children can learn about combustion, solar power and light power, many of the displays featuring little lights that illuminate with the power generated at the display. Children can also race sailboats on a table with fans, mapping out wind currents with guided lines on the table. Also on the first floor is the Einstein Hall where an exhibition was made in honour of Ilan Ramon, Israel’s first and only astronaut. Included in the exhibit are some of his personal belongings found at the crash site of the Columbia space shuttle that tragically crashed on descent over Texas.

The Haifa City Museum is located in the Haifa’s German Colony, at the foot of the famous Baha’i Gardens. Celebrating Haifa’s rich cinematic past, the museum was created within an old Templar Community House originally built in 1869 and recently restored in 2000. Within the museum’s old walls visitors can be taken back to the the age of the silver screen and the years that followed. The Haifa City Museum can be enjoyed by anyone, from film buffs to wide-eyed toddlers with no understanding of the cinematic legends such as Clark Gable, Alfred Hitchcock and Marilyn Monroe. With full blueprints of Haifa’s historical movie-houses, letters on official movie-house letterheads and even opening night invitations in “The Palaces of Haifa” exhibition, you too can be transported back to the time where glamour and fame cycled around the movie industry. A special curtained-off area of the museum’s first floor holds a screen and projector where you can sit and watch old film trailers and old Israeli pre-movie advertisements. Also on display are old film reels and a photo collection donated by a local resident featuring Hollywood’s stars of yesteryear such as Gregory Peck, James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich. Largely featured in the Armon Theatre which was established in the Haifa’s Downtown area, not far from the German Colony, in the year 1935. The original theatre had 1800 seats and an electric removable roof for pleasant summer evenings. On opening night, the Armon Theatre showed “The Merry Widow”, an Oscar-winning musical comedy. The theatre met its demise with its closing in the late 80s and was eventually torn down.

Just above the Bat Galim Promenade, at the foot of Mount Carmel in the city of Haifa, is the Clandestine Immigration and Navy Museum. A large museum with many hands-on exhibits including two retired ships and a submarine on display and open for exploring, the museum is operated by the Israeli Navy and Ministry of Defence so don’t be surprised to find the front door locked – the guards will open it for you and ask for identification. Once inside, a short video presentation is shown giving a brief overview of the Israeli Navy’s history and then the large collection of both clandestine immigration and naval maps, photographs, articles and souvenirs can be browsed. Also, for those interested, a database of war medal and decoration recipients is available behind the guard’s booth. n the main room, the “History of the Navy” exhibit, learn about the Battle of Tel Aviv where the Israeli Navy’s first warship, the INS Eilat – originally a icebreaker for the Canadian Navy and then the US Coast Guard, intercepted a group of Egyptian ships in June 1948 with just a few machine guns and a dummy wood cannon. Read about Operation “Pirate” and the 1953 Assistance to Greek Earthquake Victims exhibit, with a life-size dummy dressed in a 1950s commando diving suit completed with weaponry. Look at the pictures of Squadron 788 and their twenty-year stint as guardians of the Sea of Galilee – constantly under fire from Syrian MiG fighter jets and artillery. Learn the amazing story of the capturing of the Egyptian warship Ibrahim El Awell by the Israeli Navy and how it was turned into the INS Haifa. Be mystified at the tale of the Israeli Naval submarine INS Dakar and its disappearance in the Mediterranean Sea in 1968, only to be found in 1999 with the help of the US Navy and modern technology.

The Dolphin Reef in Eilat, on the shores of the Red Sea offers a magical and unique opportunity to observe and swim alongside some of nature’s most magnificent sea creatures. The Reef is home to a colorful array of tropical fish, beautiful coral and, most significantly, a school of bottle-nosed dolphins including babies born on the site. It was established over twenty years ago with the vision of bringing humans closer to animals in a sensitive and respectful way. The dolphins are not kept captive. They live in their natural habitat and have free access to the open sea should they choose to leave. Human intervention in their lifestyle is minimized solely to the prevention of endangerment to their existence. The Reef’s floating piers and observation points allow visitors to watch the dolphins as they maintain their daily routine – play, hunt for food, mate and care for their younger ones. Alternatively, for a more intimate encounter with these friendly and playful creatures, there is the option of guided scuba diving and snorkelling. Scuba diving is available to any confident swimmer aged between 8 – 88 years old. Previous experience is not required. A session lasts for one hour: Half of this time is devoted to fitting the scuba diving gear, signing the medical statement, and listening to a briefing; the other half is spent in the water with a personal instructor whereby divers will descend to a maximum depth of 6 meters.

Experience sea life underwater without getting wet at the Underwater Observatory Marine Park in Eilat. With the vast coral reef that runs along the Red Sea in Eilat, it is no wonder this is such a popular site. Hundreds of thousands of people visit the park every year, excited to observe and learn about the marine life just below the surface. Students and researchers also use this park as an informational center and a location to conduct research. There are a variety of different displays within the Underwater Observatory Marine Park to explore during your visit. Watch turtles and stingrays glide by in their pools or stop by the Rare Fish Aquarium to see an interesting collection of fish and corals. There is also a photography station there called Photo Aquarium. For an additional fee, visitors can ride Coral 2000, a glass-bottomed boat that sails out of the park and back over the coral reef.

The Limassol Marina will provide for the mooring of yachts at sea and on shore. Additionally, the project includes the development of residential, commercial units as well as buildings for cultural uses.

Golden sands and clear waters! The Landa beach is also called ‘Golden beach’. Located between Nissi beach and Macronissos beach with life guards, shallow crystal waters.

Paphos Aphrodite Waterpark is the BIGGEST WATERPARK in the Paphos region, a one-of-a-kind naturally landscaped aqua adventure centre. Situated in Kato Paphos on the coastal road easily accessible by car or the local bus which drops off right on our doorstep! This non-stop aquatic thrill features, high-speed water slides, an extensive lazy river, wave surge pool, lots of swimming areas and a spectacular kids water-play area, with food court and beverage areas spread throughout the park connected by a lush, tropical environments that are both immersive and interconnected.

A coast that ranks amongst the loveliest of the region. Located in the Pafos (Paphos) region in Pegeia - a thriving tourist resort - the 500-metre long, Coral Bay Beach is considered to be one of the loveliest coasts of the area. The sands are deep golden, and the clean seawaters here are calm and shallow, making it a popular choice for all, including families with children. The beach is enclosed by a pair of limestone headlands and has abundant greenery, further enhancing its beauty.

There’s absolutely nothing in Cairo like exploring the enormous shopping labyrinth of Khan El Khalili, the city’s largest souk that has preserved much of its original structure since its days as a famous medieval bazaar. Tourists and Egyptians alike arrive at this densely populated maze of streets and alleyways to find all sorts of gifts, including Egyptian antiques, fine handmade crafts, shishas and spices.

The place to go on your Egypt holidays, Naama Bay is the finest seafront in the Sinai peninsula, offering great snorkelling and diving opportunities amongst thousands of sea creatures, exploring underwater reefs. But Naama holidays aren't just a diver's paradise

In a coastal city like Alexandria, serving as the largest seaport in Egypt, it is only normal to expect to find a bustling fish market.

The 10 million liter Grand Aquarium Hurghada tank, is one of the largest suspended aquariums in the world. It is home to thousands of aquatic animals, including 400 sharks and rays. It also boasts the largest collection of sand tiger sharks in the world.

The most famous beach of Alanya which got its name after the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra. The Queen was so charmed by the beauty of the beach that she used to stop by during her voyage in the Mediterranean to swim in waters near this beach. The Cleopatra Beach is app. 2 km long with fine sand on the beach and in the sea. The water is clear blue and it reaches a depth of an adult human within first 4 – 5 steps. The beach offers many facilities including sunbeds and umbrellas for rent, beach bars, water sports, volleyball courts and a nice walkway along the beach. There are several beach clubs with fine food, drinks, music and comfortable seats and pergolas to spend your whole day too. You can enjoy a great view of the Alanya castle and unforgettable sunsets on the Cleopatra beach in Alanya.

Aktur Park is a funfair in the heart of the city and has a range of rides and attractions on a medium sized location, plenty to keep the kids (and young at heart) entertained for a few hours. With all the traditional stalls, candy floss (cotton candy for our USA friends) and toffee apples etc, some sideshows in the style of "hit the target to win" and there are some well maintained large amusement rides including a small roller-coaster, pirate boats, go-karts and dodgem cars etc. a good mix of rides suitable for all ages. Like most parks like this its most atmospheric in the evenings and night, not to mention it's probably too hot to visit in the daytime anyway.

It is estimated that the building, which was considered as the largest closed market after Istanbul in the Ottoman period, was built in the 15th century. The only inscription in the building, which contains many bazaars with different names, is located in the bazaar built by Hacı Efendi in 1844. The bazaar, almost all of which was burnt as a result of the fire in 1870, was rebuilt with stone materials with the efforts of Osman Pasha of Maraş. The building is referred to as the "magnificent masonry market" that covers more than two thousand shops and shops in the 1907 Ankara Yearbook. The Grand Bazaar still houses shops where local food and handicrafts are sold.

The beach is rocky, with some sandy spots and several pine trees. The picturesque tiny cove with the crystal waters offers a spectacular sight with the facilities of the medicinal baths on the background, the Baths of Kallithea.

Pamukkale is an amazing display of natural hot water pools in Denizli Province, south-western Turkey. What you see in the photos below are known as travertines or the terraces that form due to the carbonate minerals that gather up as the flowing water circles.

Aqua Vega Aquarium is one of Turkey's and Europe's largest tunnel aquariums, with a total capacity of 4.5 million litres of waters and 98 meters in length. Aqua Vega Aquarium has large and small, consisting of salt and freshwater aquariums with different characteristics. In this atmosphere, you can be guest into the world of fascinating sea creatures from the oceans and rivers of the world. The world's seas and oceans are still a huge universe waiting to be discovered. You have the opportunity to discover this colourful and peaceful world of the sea creatures with Aqua Vega Aquarium in the center of Ankara.

"Is there no supermarket, you know, like a big mall?" a Japanese woman asked me - and indeed - there is none. Instead there is the suq, a big market about three kilometres long, where you can get everything, ripe and tasty fruits and vegetable, live poultry, meat cut with a sabre from the half of a cattle hanging between street and shop, at one stall fresh fish is brazed in tins for conservation, the soldering iron heated on coal. Soft foulards, clothes, tea, herbs and frankincense bis as cobbles are offered in the narrow alleys of the suq. Children ask to polish shoes to earn money for their families, Juiceshops provide refreshments. For example "Assir Assab", juice from sugarcane pressed out of rods, two meters long, made in front of your eyes, and which is as refreshing, that most people drink it without setting the glass down inbetween.

The museum is in Fira. Its collections include sculptures and inscriptions ranging from the Archaic to the Roman period, as well as pottery artifacts and clay figurines from the Geometric up to the Hellenistic period. The most important exhibits are the Theraic jar with the geometric patterns dated from the early 7th century BC; the large volcanic rock (trachyte) weighing 480 kilos; and many findings from the excavations at the cemetery of ancient Thera, such as jars and pottery, as well as kouros statues. Standing at the centre of Fira, the Archaeological museum reveals the island's long history. The current building near the cable car terminal, was constructed in 1960 to replace the one that had collapsed during the earthquake of 1956.

The Milos Mining Museum (MMM) is located in Adamas, the island’s main port. The Museum’s aim is to promote the rich geological and mining history of Milos and to pay homage to all those who have worked hard in order to develop the island’s mineral wealth that contributed greatly to its financial and cultural affluence during its long and uninterrupted history. With an aim to inform and to educate the public, the MMM organizes periodic exhibitions, scientific conferences, as well as special guided visits to industrial facilities, mines and areas with geological interest, while it also publishes books on subjects related to mineral resources and mining.

With its 66 streets and over 4000 shops, the Grand Bazaar is the biggest covered bazaar in the world. The Grand Bazaar (Kapalı Çarşı in Turkish) is an overwhelming experience for many. Sellers hawk their wares at the top of the voice, everyone has their own technique to entice you in, the colors, lights and sounds create an exotic and unique atmosphere.

No visit to Istanbul is complete without stopping by the atmospheric Spice Bazaar. While the Grand Bazaar may be the largest and most famous of Istanbul's covered bazaars, this spice market wins the prize for being the most colorful, fragrant, and often the most fun – as visitors can taste the goods on offer.

The Kovadareios library is not just a collection of dusty pages, it is a compilation of the history, symbols and values of a brand new and simultaneously ancient nation. Among the valuable codices and rare volumes, you’ll see one of the two surviving copies of the ‘Carta’ (Charter) of Rigas Feraios, one of the founding fathers of modern Greece.

The “core” of the historic centre is the Plaka neighborhood (at the eastern side of the Acropolis), which has been inhabited without interruption since antiquity. When you walk through the narrow labyrinthine streets lined with houses and mansions from the time of the Turkish occupation and the Neoclassical period (19th c.), you will have the impression of travelling with a “time machine”

Monastiraki is one of the most renowned neighborhoods in central Athens partly because it belongs to the oldest part of the town and due to its traditional flea market. A vivid neighborhood with the aromas and arts of a bygone era still prominent!

The Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil in Sparta showcases the culture and technology surrounding the olive and olive oil production, a field which is inextricably linked to Greek, and in general, Mediterranean identity. Unique in Greece, the Museum is located in the heart of Lakonia, one of the leading olive producing regions in our country.

An aquapark in the Kurortnii Gorodok of Adler. Barely glancing at “Amfibius” you will see a “city in a city”. I mean, there so many things to do at so big area – more than two hectares of land, it simply defies the imagination with its size. And, once inside, you realize that the organizers bothered that you get the whole range of services for the best, carefree holiday. The complex is surprising not only for its big area, but also for the variety of entertainment options available. It’s true to say that even the most sophisticated visitors can find here a pleasant pastime. Aquapark has 16 rides. Most of them will be interesting for both children and adults. First you will meet three fast tracks with spectacular name “Kamikadze”, each 15 meters high. Ride on them thrills even fans of speed. Then head toward the bright red “Laguna”, repeat some sharp turns, and then proceed to – to the quirky “Giant”, which gives a lot of vivid impressions. There is also a unique slide “Taboga” – a kind of water slalom. The main thing on it – resist falling. Finally, fans of extreme relaxation can try «Blue Hall». This blue tube of enormous size, spun on such a scale that sustain its sharp turns and bends can be tested by the bravest. At the end, the pipe will make you fly a distance longer than 100 meters. All these water attractions are located in one of the pool. Visitors on holidays in this part of the park, not only provided a riot of colors, but also a lot of pleasant sensations, fun, sun, and, of course, the warm water. Needless to say, once visited the water park “Amfibius”, you certainly will want to come back here again.

The Archaeological Museum of Varna was established in 1887 by the brothers Karel and Herman Shkorpil (archaeologists and scientists of Czech and Bulgarian origin, founders of the Bulgarian archaeology and museum activity). The archaeological museum shows original finds from the Paleolithic Age /about 100 000 years BC/ to the Middle Ages /7th – 8th/ century, many of which are of great significance to the archaeology of Europe and the world. The largest Mesolithic collection of flint tools in South-East Europe, the largest collections of ancient terracotta, tombstone reliefs, lamps and glass vessels in Bulgaria are placed here. Unique exponents of the Hellenistic age, the Roman age and the Late Antiquity are presented; as well as rare premonetary forms, more than 2000 golden, silver, bronze and copper antic and middle age coins. Stone inscriptions from the history of the Bulgarian state are also presented; and also the largest in the country collections of early Bulgarian belt decorations and jewels dating from the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185 – 1393).