Let's Go to Akko
Acre (Akko) is a port city in northwest Israel, on the Mediterranean coast. It’s known for its well-preserved old city walls. I toured the city, but felt as if I took a tour through the ages instead. What a history of culture, architecture, and religion.
Crusaders
There is so much history in Akko (also spelled Acre). Where to begin? In the 15th century BCE, Old Akko first appears in the cave writings. The texts were written on clay tablets or vessels. Akko similar to other Israeli ancient cities is based on layers and layers of history. The tours take you deeper underground to uncover the story.
*The Israeli Period dates back to 700 BCE - 250 BCE. The Romans followed killing a large community of the Jewish population. The Byzantine Period saw the Christians control. Followed by 700 AD where the Muslim community took pride in rebuilding the Port. Located on the water it was truly a fight for this idyllic land. The Crusader Period is on display in the Citadel. A great fortress with curves and twists located in the city. The start of the visitors city and box office.
*Pictured the Wall Of Akko. Which famously stopped Napolean Bonaparte from invading. Al Gazzar one of the founding leaders of Akko built not one, but two impenetrable walls! Stopping the French from entering.
‘Touristing’ is Easy
I love going on a solo adventure. Thankfully Akko is super safe and friendly plus their signage was amazing. I wish I could send their municipality a note truthfully. I paid 47 NIS (shkelim) for tickets to walk the Citadel plus head set, Tour the Turkish Bath House (and learn more about the Muslim leaders of Akko, Walk the Wall of Treasures (filled with unique ‘junk’ of the cities previous artisans, and crawl the Templer Tunnels (tucked away until its discovery in 1994).
Not all tours are created equal. I have been on many tours in Israel. I’ve walked through museums, listened to guides, endured a few lectures even… but Akko was refreshing. I am still learning about Israel’s origins including it’s Muslim + Christian history. After venturing to Caesarea this summer and learning about the Roman’s hold on that water front, Akko’s story made more sense.
Eat Like a Local
Find you a partner who knows where the good hummus is… Stepped away from the tourist area to this local gem! Ask for the grilled garlic pita! It’s worth it. We ordered the hummus + meat, salad, and shakshuka. Truly amazing and a great steal of a deal! Look up Gallery Somaan Restaurant
The key to being a traveling foodie is to split everything! Do not over do it! One of my favorite parts about Mediterranean cuisine is that it’s portioned well. The plates and bowls are the size of you hand. The American in me wants to stuff the plate high- but knowing my smaller plate is happily full means my belly is also happily full!
“I highly recommend the Bahai Gardens. A short drive from the Old Town of Akko.
Bahjí was where Bahá’u’llah, the prophet who founded the Baha’i religion, lived for the last 12 years of his life. It is also where he was buried after his death, hence the sanctity of the site for Baha’i followers the world over. The aim of the gardens is to provide appropriate access to the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh, which is the focus of the entire site. In fact, all of these radial paths lead toward the center. ”
