Tour guides like to call Yarka ‘the Duty Free shop of the North’, and indeed a short tour in the village located between Yasif intersection and the village of Yasif, proves that this definition is most appropriate. At the entrance to the village, dozens of signposts greet visitors, welcoming them to an enormous shopping center comprising many shops, including an optics store, bride and groom’s outfits, women, men and athletes clothing. ‘Everything for the office’ a sign cries out and another retorts with ‘Everything for athletes and travelers’; the complex also comprises brand-name stores such as Castro, Fox and Home Center, alongside stores selling electric devices, garages, car lots, plant nurseries, light fixture and a unique food center featuring any item customers may look for, from a grain of wheat to exclusive tableware and chandeliers. Alongside these visitors can find restaurants, bars and fast food stands, all at reasonable and affordable prices.
Activity times
- Weekdays
- Allways open
Contact and address
- Location
- Yarka
A palm-trees boulevard climbs up the hill its entire length sprawled with many stores, mainly shopping centers and malls. For example the Canaan Mall where an escalator takes customers to large brand-name stores, mostly surplus outlets, selling their merchandise at prices lower than those people are used to in the center of the country. Thus for instance, a store selling brand-name items, called “Brand Name Castle” offers brand name sports shoes for prices that are so low that it is difficult to believe the brand items are real. Not far from it there are surplus outlets of Castro, Lucci, Vardinon, Renuar Delta, Onot and Crocs shoes.
The mall comprises a restaurant floor. The seating area is set alongside huge windows revealing the view of the village of Yarka with its houses and gardens; a very different scene from the noisy shopping center at its entrance. Here visitors can find fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s, stands serving Shawarma, Hummus, Falafel, Schnitzel and Pizza, as well as Druze food and coffee shop with croissants.
The ground floor comprises a large playground featuring bumper cars, a train, horse and airplane carousels, and outside there is even a country club with a swimming pool that works in the summer. Those who tire of shopping may receive here Spa treatments or freshen up in the pool.
A little way further stands “Amash Center” the large department store (a large sign announces that it is the largest in Israel). The store occupies two buildings connected by a bridge and offers clothes for women, men, children and athletes, shoes, maternity clothes, a houseware department, lingerie and a cosmetics and perfumes department spread over an entire floor. Amash Center offers a huge selection of brand-name jeans and sports shoes at prices far lower than market prices. At Amash Center customers may also find watches, fashion accessories, jewelry, bags and stylish hats.
The palm boulevard also hosts the “Shopping Center”. The center cannot be missed; all along the boulevard signs announce its merchandise, offering men, women, sports and jeans ware.
The “City Mall” is the newest of the malls. It had been opened only recently and not all of its stores are occupied. Among the occupied ones visitors can find stores such as Seventeen, Laika, a furniture store, an optics store, a huge carpets and curtains store, a shoe store, an evening ware store, and a giant Home Center surplus outlet. The mall is beautiful. On the second floor there is a coffee shop, a restaurant that offers children’s meals for very low prices and a large playground full of attractions for kids.
However, the most bustling place is no doubt the Food Center; a huge supermarket spread over an area of 12,000 sq. meters (as14.35 sq. yards), with polite and knowledgeable employees servicing visitors all-around; glad to answer any question and help them find their way through the maze of stands, so that they can quickly find a product they are looking for. Visitors can find here everything, from a houseware department to a home plastic-ware department; grocery items, pastries, detergents, spices, beverages, canned goods and even a car-accessories department; all at reasonable and affordable prices cheaper than market prices people are accustomed to.