Acre

Akko The city of Acre, or Akko, is one of the oldest cities in the world, inhabited since its founding in the period of Pharaoh Thutmose III (1504-1450 BC).

The city has been largely forgotten in modern times, and tourists are not catered for as they are in other cities. Akko has not benefited from rise of the global tourist industry, although it continues to attract tourists in large numbers. Today this coastal city is surrounded by what remains of the impressive sea walls defending the solid stone buildings that belong to the people of old Akko. The modern city is home to the country’s steel industry, while the once important Palestinian port is home to small fishing fleets. Fresh fish is readily available on all restaurant menus!

The history of Akko is chequered and colorful. The still-visible fortress and sea walls are the work of a Bedouin sheikh, Daher el-Omar, who made the city his capital in the mid-18th century after capturing it from its Ottoman rulers.

The Turks were finally driven from Palestine in 1918 by the British, who used the fortress as a prison. Today it is the site of the Underground Prisoners’ Memorial Museum, which also tells the history of Akko.

Other places of interest: The beautiful, large green-domed Al-Jazzar Mosque, built in 1781 during Ottoman rule. The subterranean Crusader City, a series of domed halls under present-day Akko. The Hammam al-Pasha, the well-preserved bath house of the mosque, used until the 1940’s, with marble floors and domed ceilings containing colored glass. Walking along the city walls, you are blessed with spectacular views of the sea and the city of Haifa, as well as unforgettable sunsets.
 

Akko, a place to observe centuries of history.