Azura - A Restaurant in Mahane Yehuda Market

If one place captures the spirit of slow, traditional Jerusalem cooking, it is Azura - a veteran culinary institution in the heart of Mahane Yehuda Market, running almost unchanged for more than seventy years.

The story behind the place

Azura opened in the early 1950s, founded by Ezra Sherfler, and has worked the same way ever since: pots simmering for hours over a low flame on traditional kerosene burners, until the meat falls apart and the spices soak all the way through. The restaurant, at 4 HaEshkol Street in the alleys of the Iraqi Market, is one of the addresses most closely identified with Kurdish-Iraqi-Turkish cooking in Jerusalem.

What makes Azura special

• Traditional Kurdish-Iraqi-Turkish cooking, simmered for hours on kerosene burners.
• Signature dishes such as kubbeh, lung, oxtail and sofrito - heavily spiced, with deep flavors.
• A simple, family-run, authentic atmosphere that has barely changed since the 1950s.

Opening hours and getting there

Azura is at 4 HaEshkol Street, in the alleys of the Iraqi Market at the heart of Mahane Yehuda Market. It is generally open Sunday to Friday, from the morning until the early afternoon, and closed on Shabbat like most businesses in the market. Come early: the place fills up well before noon, and it does not take reservations.

So what next?

Azura is an inseparable part of the mix that makes Mahane Yehuda Market what it is - long-established institutions alongside a new, young generation of businesses.

Opening hours, crowds and the mood in the market change with the season, with weekdays and with the holidays. To see what is happening in the market right now and which events are coming up, check the live updates at livejlm.com.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Azura in Mahane Yehuda Market?

Azura is at 4 HaEshkol Street, in the heart of the Iraqi Market alleys inside Mahane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem.

When is Azura open?

The restaurant is generally open Sunday to Friday, from the morning until the early afternoon, and closed on Shabbat.

What is Azura famous for?

The dishes slow-cooked on the kerosene burners - kubbeh, lung, oxtail and sofrito - are the restaurant's trademark, and it has been running continuously since the early 1950s.

How long has Azura been in the market?

The restaurant opened in the early 1950s, founded by Ezra Sherfler, and is one of the oldest and most closely identified restaurants in Mahane Yehuda Market.