Acre (Akko)

We came back from a trip to Israel to visit with our family, this time we decided to travel to the beautiful city of Acre (Akko). We spent the night in the gorgeous boutique hotel Efendi (photos 4-5) in the old city and took a tour guide the next day. • Acre is a city in the northern coastal plain region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. The city occupies an important location, as it sits on the coast of the Mediterranean, linking the waterways and commercial activity with the Levant. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the world. Historically, it was a strategic coastal link to the Levant. In crusader times it was known as St. John d’Acre after the Knights Hospitaller of St John order who had their headquarters there. Acre is the holiest city of the Bahá’í Faith. In 2011, the population was 46,464. Acre is a mixed city, with 75% of the population being Jewish and 25% Arab. • Acre’s Old City has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Since the 1990s, large-scale archeological excavations have been undertaken and efforts are being made to preserve ancient sites. Under the citadel and prison of Acre, archaeological excavations revealed a complex of halls (photo 3), which was built and used by the Hospitallers Knights. This complex was a part of the Hospitallers’ citadel, which was combined in the northern wall of Acre. The complex includes six semi-joined halls, one recently excavated large hall, a dungeon, a dining room and remains of an ancient Gothic church. Medieval European remains include the Church of Saint George and adjacent houses at the Genovese Square (called Kikar ha-Genovezim or Kikar Genoa in Hebrew). There were also residential quarters and marketplaces run by merchants from Pisa and Amalfi in Crusader and medieval Acre. –Wikipedia • Photos by Uri Rodan / December 2014