The lower section of the old city, established as an artists' colony in the 1950s when Israeli painters and sculptors were attracted by the mountain light, the stone architecture, and the mystical atmosphere of one of Judaism's holy cities. The neighbourhood is a dense network of arched stone alleys with galleries and studios in buildings that date back to the Ottoman and Crusader periods.
The work on display ranges from serious contemporary Israeli art to Judaica and tourist-oriented Kabbalistic imagery. The better galleries are those of working artists who are present in their studios — they tend to be more interesting to talk to and their work tends to be more original. The quarter is most active on summer weekends when the galleries stay open in the evenings. A distinctly different atmosphere from the religious quarter above: more secular, more international, quieter.