Mount Carmel is the mountain in Israel where Elijah summoned the people of Israel to choose between God and Baal (Dictionary of Proper Names). The modern city of Haifa is situated on the slopes of Mount Carmel.
The motivation for the street-name is explained by Marshall as follows: "Holy Land: About 1890 Sir Robert J. McConnell, estate agent, and James Rea, a builder of small house property, went together on a trip to Egypt and Palestine. Upon their return James Rea commenced building on a still unoccupied portion of the Plains. With his Oriental tour fresh in mind he named some of the streets after places he had visited, viz. Carmel Street, Cairo Street, Damascus Street, Jerusalem Street, and Palestine Street." (John J. Marshall, Belfast Telegraph, 24/01/1941).
The minutes of the Town Improvement Committee of Belfast Corporation on 19 December 1894 indicate the naming of two new streets off Rugby Avenue: Carmel Street and Palestine Street. Carmel Street Belfast’s Holyland or Holylands area in the south of the city is mostly inhabited by students.
"Application of the owner: Mr Thomas Rea four new streets property situate off Agincourt Avenue: Carmel Street, Palestine Street, Jerusalem Street, Damascus Street." Minutes, Town Improvement Committee, 24th August, 1898 - these streets being continuations of streets already thus named.