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<\/a>\nThe historic port city has been inhabited for 4000 years, since the Middle Bronze Age (2,000 BC), making it one of the oldest cities in the world.<\/p>\n
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The current wall was rebuilt in the 18th century under Ottoman rule by Zahir al-Umar, the Arab ruler of Galilee. \u00a0Then it was fortified against the French in 1780 by his successor, Jazzer Pasha, and Akko became the regional capital of the Ottoman Empire.<\/p>\n
We climbed up onto a section of the wall to look at the view of the city and Rafi explained the history. \u00a0Then we walked to El-Jazzar Mosque which was built out of stones cut from the ancient ruins of Caesarea and finished in 1781. \u00a0This is the second largest mosque in Israel.<\/p>\n I was glad we visited the mosque because this was the first one we entered on this trip. \u00a0I was disappointed that we did not visit any mosques in Jordan. \u00a0El-Jazzar Mosque was a lovely peaceful place and the surrounding courtyard reminded me of medieval cloisters. \u00a0Ahmad Pasha al Jazzer and his successor, Suleiman Pasha, were buried on the grounds.<\/p>\n After we left the mosque we went to the Akashi Art Museum which was adjacent to the Knights’ Hall in Old Acre. \u00a0The museum features rotating exhibits of modern Israeli art in an ancient building dating back to the Ottoman period.<\/p>\n Akko is full of interesting nooks and crannies and is comprised of a complex network of buildings, alleyways, museums, fortresses, courtyards, and knights’ halls. \u00a0In another courtyard, we found the American Corner Akko which provides information about the United States to international students to promote better relations.<\/p>\n Hamam al-Basha was built in 1795 by Jazzer Pasha. \u00a0It had a series of hot rooms and a hexagonal steam room with a marble fountain. \u00a0The Turkish bath was part of a transformation of Acre during the Ottoman Period from a small fishing village to a teeming port and major trade center.<\/p>\n Today, the Hamam al-Basha is a living-history museum complete with audio-visual and static displays. \u00a0The story of the daily life and historical events during the height of the Ottomans are told in a program called the “Last Bath Attendant.”<\/p>\n No visit to an acient middle-eastern city is complete without a walk through the “souk”\u00a0<\/em>or market:<\/p>\n We paused at Kurdi Hamudi’s Spice and Coffee Shop and talked with his son who is a fourth-generation grinder and seller of spices. \u00a0He explained the importance of spices during ancient and modern times while we sniffed the aromas emanating from jars of fragrant spices.<\/p>\n The shop walls were visual feast and decorated with gourds, animal skins, fishing nets, ancient spice grinders, stuffed animals, and model ships. \u00a0All the spices were prepared by Hamudi himself and are of exceptional quality.<\/p>\n We walked down to the ancient Pisan Port which has countless small fishing boats, dinghies, and yachts. \u00a0We boarded one of the bright red tourist boats for a short harbor tour. \u00a0Vibrant Middle-Eastern music blared as we rode past the sea walls to a small lighthouse at the end of the marina.<\/p>\n We had a delicious lunch at Doniana Restaurant on the harbor overlooking Akko’s bay. Akko is known for its fresh seafood.<\/p>\n Acre became a center of international trade and was an important city during the Crusades (1100-1390 AD). \u00a0Crusaders made Acre their main port in 1104 which gave them access to the Asiatic spice trade that made them prosper. \u00a0The Templars were a military-monastic order who aided pilgrims to visit holy sites in Israel. \u00a0In 1187, they made their home in Acre and built their quarter in the city with a strong fortress protected by two towers with 28-foot thick walls.<\/p>\n The Templars dug a 350 meter long strategic tunnel which extended from their fortress in the western part of the city to the port. \u00a0The underground passageway was discovered in 1994 and opened to tourists five years later.<\/p>\n Then we drove along the shore about 15 minutes to the Grotto Caves at Rosh HaNikra which is located very close to the Lebanese border. \u00a0An Israeli naval ship was anchored offshore.<\/p>\n We walked through The Bridge and Railway Tunnel which had been used for trains running along the Cairo-Istanbul line. \u00a0Rosh Hanikra was the location where Israeli and Lebanese officials negotiated an armistice agreement in 1949.<\/p>\n A cable car brings tourists down to the natural caves and tunnels which were formed by the constant action of waves on the soft chalk rock. \u00a0We entered the grotto and followed a slippery path through the solid rock.<\/p>\n We walked through the cave and saw the waves enter with loud gushing sounds. The path led back out into bright sunshine and a great view of the Mediterranean Sea.<\/p>\n As we walked back to the bus, we saw a colony of hyraxes sunning themselves on the rocks. \u00a0I learned that the hyrax looks like a rodent, but it is related to elephants and manatees.<\/p>\n We returned to our lovely hotel and rested before dinner. \u00a0We gathered and began to walk down the hill to the old “German Colony” which is now a neighborhood of restaurants, cafes, and boutiques. \u00a0On our way through an interesting neighborhood, we passed several sights which Rafi pointed out to us.<\/p>\n There was interesting public art works and also reminders of a painful chapter in history. \u00a0Haifa is one of Israel’s “mixed cities” with a significant population of Palestinians, Christians, and Muslims. \u00a0We were walking through a neighborhood which had been mostly Palestinian in 1948. \u00a0The families who fled, left signs and photos on their doors to remind passersby that the houses had belonged to Palestinians.<\/p>\n We stopped in at a small shop that made felafel,<\/em>\u00a0fried chickpea balls, and Rafi said they were the best in all of Haifa. \u00a0The owner gave each of us a fresh sample right out of the cooker. Delicious!<\/p>\n Down the street there was a bakery with the largest assortment of baklava<\/em> I have every seen in my life!<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n