Akko

Akko used to be an important fortress during the times of Alexander the Great, the Egyptians and the Romans, but it grew even more important as the Crusader city of Acre.

Old Akko is mainly Arab and surrounded by old city walls, which seaparate it from the modern, Jewish parts of town to the north, which are largely filled with hotels and apartment blocks to cater for the city's large scale tourism industry. Akko's old town is inscribed in UNESCO's world heritage list.

Akko has been inhabited since the Bronze Age, making it one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited places. During Crusader times, when Akko was known as Acre, a series of vaulted halls were dug out under the ground. They were once the quarters of the Knights Hospitallers. The halls lie 8 m below the surface and are known as the subterranean Crusader city.

The entrance to the subterranean city is opposite the Mosque of Al-Jazzar. This mosque is easily recognized for its Turkish green dome and its beautiful minaret. Not far east of the mosque is the souq, a maze of streets, lined with small shops and filled with all the sounds and smells the belong to a truly oriental souq.

Khan al-Umdan, also known as the 'Inn of the Columns', is the largest Ottoman inn still standing. It was built at then end of the 18th century. Al-Jazzar Mosque was constructedd in 1781. Fourteen years later the Turkish bath of Hamam al-Basha was built. It was in use until 1950.

The medieval Church of Saint George is also worth a visit, as are some of the many Bahá'í holy places in and around Akko.

There are only a few hotels and restaurants in Old Akko, but in the new parts of town, plenty of accommodation is available. Every year in October, a theatre festival is held in Akko. The city sits on a natural harbour on the Mediterranean coast, 130 km north of Jerusalem.