Graffiti Israel: Street Art in Tel Aviv
Tel-Aviv is home to a thriving street art scene, and the graffiti you’ll find on the walls and storefronts rivals work that hangs inside museums.
Florentine
The Florentine neighborhood is iconic for its bohemian vibe, cafes, bars, and the bustling Levinsky Market. While vegan food and a thriving nightlife are all part of the Florentine experience, it’s the street art scene that might be the most lively. Everywhere you look you’ll find incredible works of art, from the smallest alley to the main streets.
Grab your favorite coffee and stroll through the streets of Florentine to find some of the most incredible street art in the Middle East. You can start on Levinsky Street and explore Levinski Market while looking for street art, before making your way to HaBarbanel Street, which is lined with incredible graffiti. Once you’re finished there, you can turn onto Florentine Street, which has plenty of street art to see, and also endless cafes, restaurants, and bars to grab some lunch or dinner.
Shuk HaCarmel
Shuk HaCarmel, or the Carmel Market, is the bustling and thriving open-air market in the heart of Tel Aviv. This market is known for its vendors selling delicious food and every type of item imaginable, but when you explore the walls of the market and the streets around it, you’ll quickly find impressive graffiti. You can enter the market from Allenby Street, and wind your way through the vendors selling spices, breads, fruits, and even clothes. The market itself is impressive and full of surprises, but be sure to turn off into the side streets and alleys. HaCarmel Street is the main attraction, but any of the surrounding streets are a treat to explore.
Neve Tzedek
Wandering down the stunning Shabazi Street will take you through the Neve Tzedek neighborhood. It was Tel Aviv’s first neighborhood, and is now home to high-end boutiques, restaurants, and incredible Tel Aviv street art. When you’re done finding gorgeous graffiti, you can take an easy stroll to the beach.
Jaffa Port
Located on the southern part of Tel Aviv’s coastline, you’ll find Jaffa Port. It is one of the oldest known ports in the world, and now, cafes, shops and storefronts are nestled along the cobblestone streets. Plenty of Tel Aviv graffiti can be found here, along with art galleries where you can view tons of other works of art. Pro tip: visit Jaffa Port during sunset for a stunning show of colors as the sun sets below the Mediterranean Sea.
Looking for a nice place to stay in the city? Look no further than Abraham Tel-Aviv!
Central Bus Station
If you plan to hop on a bus from Tel Aviv’s Central Bus Station, keep your eyes peeled for some pretty special graffiti. The bus station itself can seem like a maze – it is one of the biggest bus stations in the world, and contains many hallways, corridors, and staircases, some of them closed off and ghostly. But there is plenty of incredible street art to be found, including on the 7th floor, where you can find plenty of murals and works on the walls.
Graffiti Israel: Street Art in Jerusalem
While Jerusalem is best known for its religious significance and ancient artifacts, there is actually a thriving street art scene in this iconic city. In fact, the streets and alleys are home to such an impressive graffiti scene, Abraham Tours operates a Jerusalem Street Art Tour. We’ll tell you more about that later, but first, let’s get right to where you can find some of the best graffiti in Jerusalem.
Machane Yehuda Market
The Machane Yehuda Market is the thriving heartbeat of Jerusalem. Also called the shuk, the Machane Yehuda market dates back to the Ottomon period, and today is home to every sort of vendor you can imagine. You can taste foods, spices, and sweets from the Middle East and around the world, and can buy everything from clothes to jewelry and everything else imaginable.
While shopping during the daytime, you might not notice as much street art as you would in the evening. But at night, the market comes alive in a whole different way. When the shop doors close, and their metal gates come down, you’ll find endless works of art on those doors.
In Jerusalem, the murals, writings, graffiti tags, and bumper stickers tell all sorts of stories and carry all kinds of messages. You’ll see works depicting the tensions between secular and religious Jews, Muslims, and Christans, as well as messages related to activism, peace, veganism, and foreign workers in Israel.
Nachla’ot
Nachla’ot is the trendy neighborhood surrounding the Machane Yehuda market, and it’s known for its airy and hidden courtyards, winding alleys, and its iconic architecture. It’s between Betsal’el Street and Jaffa Street, and is home to sprawling Sacher Park, where you can enjoy a picnic lunch. Everywhere you look in Nachla’ot you’ll find incredible Jerusalem graffiti, from massive, colorful murals to smaller graffiti tags and images. If you’re looking for more arts and culture while in Nachla’ot, you can check out the nearby Gerard Behar Center, which is a major arts center in Jerusalem, and is home to theater, music, and dance productions.
Before You Head Out To Find Israeli Graffiti
If you’re planning to head out to explore the streets and find Israeli graffiti, we have some tips to help you find the best murals and works in the country.
Choose your time carefully: Finding street art might be a wonderful activity to do during the day, but it sometimes is best to go later in the evening or on Shabbat, when businesses are closed (Friday night to Saturday night). During the summer months, it can be quite hot to walk around for long periods of time during the middle of the day. Also, there is much graffiti and street art on the metal gates of businesses, which you’ll only see when those businesses are closed.
Transportation: The neighborhoods and areas outlined in this post are all easily accessible from our hostels, and from other major hubs. You can travel to these neighborhoods by foot, bus, bike or cab. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes to stroll the streets, and bring plenty of water, especially during the summer.
Remember that the art changes: You might find a photo of a magical mural you’re dying to see in person, but keep in mind that street art is impermanent in nature. That means that works are often painted over or changed, although much of the graffiti stays on the walls and gates for years and years.
Be sure to ask for guidance: Finding street art in Israel is easy enough, but it can involve a little bit of exploring. If you’re feeling lost, be sure to ask for directions. Our incredible and friendly reception staff at our hostels are happy to point you in the right direction, and to help you find the neighborhoods outlined in this post.
Experience Israel’s Street Art With Abraham!
We could go on and on about how incredible Israel’s street art is, but instead, we’d be happy to show you ourselves. Here in Israel, Abraham currently runs a Jerusalem Street Art Tour, which takes you through the hidden alleys and back streets of the Machance Yehuda market and Nachla’ot. Our guides are experts in the field of street art, and are themselves street artists.
If you’re looking to channel your inner Israeli graffiti artist, be sure to check out our Paint and Pint workshop in our Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Held in our spacious lounge, you’ll be in for an evening of creativity, beers, and friendship. Beers and painting supplies are included, so you just get to sit around a table with friends old and new, and enjoy the fun.
For a full list of our incredible tours all over the country, be sure to head over to our Tours page.
