Akko is one of Israel’s ancient, ancient cities. First established in 3000 B.C.E., the city served as a port for thousands of years. It has a long history of growth, evolution, trade, and coexistence. The Crusaders used Akko as a port to ship Middle Eastern spices and goods back to Europe. And today Jewish and Arab citizens live side by side in Akko. It hasn’t always been easy for Akko—great battles have taken place in the city between the Crusaders and the ruling Arabs, and between Napoleon Bonaparte and the Ottomans. Jewish and Arab coexistence, while one of Akko’s famous characteristics, has seen it’s fair share of tensions. But the city has survived and been strengthened by it’s struggles.
When you walk through the streets, you feel like you’re in the middle of a magical story! So, you can imagine the Umayyads, the Crusaders, the Ottomans, the Jewish underground forces walking the same streets! The streets are filled with the smells of the spices and baked goods of the market. Music plays in the background and mixes with different calls to prayer. You can fill the history electrifying the streets. Who wouldn’t want to visit such a city?!
It’s a city that offers insight of the country that we don’t get to visit in other bigger cities visited more often in Israel. Therefore, together we will discover the hidden tales, the secret spots, and the new tastes and smells of Akko.
In a full day tour, we’ll explore:
- The Hospitaler Crusader Fortress
- The Old City of Akko (including the Bathhouse and the Synagogue)
- The British Prison
- Modern Coexistence Projects, and then
- The Modern Tunisian Synagogue,
- The Templar Crusader Tunnels and the Old City Walls
- Finally, dinner overlooking the sun setting the Mediterranean Sea