Acre

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Acre (called Akko in Hebrew) is a city in the Galilee, located north of Haifa on the northern shore of Haifa Bay. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in Israel, and is mentioned in the Bible. The tribe of Asher is said to have settled there, and the historian Josephus wrote that it was later ruled by one of King Solomon’s provincial governors.

It was the Arab conquest of Acre from the Byzantines in the seventh century that lead to a revival of the town, and for several centuries Acre was the most important port in the entire Middle East, in part because of the high regard which the Crusaders had for it. (The town was captured by King Baldwin I in the First Crusade in 1104.)

Another interesting note in its history – and there are many – is that Napoleon laid siege to the city in 1799, but his tactics were unsuccessful, and after only two months he and his troops were repulsed by the Turks aided by British sailors.

Jump forward to the early history of the struggle for the modern State of Israel. In the aftermath of WWI, the Ottoman Empire lost its hold on Palestine, and the British Mandate for Palestine came into being. During the struggle of the Jews against the British, the latter turned the old fort into the main prison for the captured members of the Jewish underground, some of whom were executed there.
Acre was captured by Israel on May 17, 1948, just a few days after the founding of the State of Israel. In the 1950s many immigrants were settled in the development town of Acre, mostly from Morocco, and in the 1990s many immigrants from the FSU were absorbed there.

The above are just a few tidbits of Acre’s history, which involved many wars leading to many changes of rulers.
Acre today is a mixed city, whose residents are about 72 percent Jewish and 28 percent Arab.

Some interesting sites not to be missed in Acre

Acre is the holiest city of the Baha’i faith, and there are many Baha'i Holy Places. Those of the Baha’i faith throughout the world face Acre when praying; the remains of their revered leader are there. Although the Baha’i temple in Haifa is more famous, it is Acre that has more significance, as well as a beautiful garden located on the outskirts of the city. The Baha’i holy places in both Acre and Haifa are UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The Mosque of Jezzar Pasha is another significant religious site in Acre. A shrine in this mosque contains a single hair from the prophet Mohammed's beard. It is shown only on ceremonial occasions, but the shrine, on the second level of the mosque, can be visited at other times as well.

Archaeological excavations have revealed that the citadel and prison of Acre were built over halls that were used centuries before by the Hospitallers Knights. Today known simply as Knights' Halls, new discoveries continue, and the additional halls and rooms that tell us much about the period.

The Citadel of Acre is from Ottoman times; it was built on the ruins of a Crusaders fortress. It reinforced the city’s northern wall. Following their loss of Jerusalem, the Crusaders ruled their kingdom from the Citadel for one hundred years (1191-1291). In modern times it became a large British prison.

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