The city is considered one of the world's attractions and is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Cities.
Population
Population 46,400 (2009) people, of which:
- 5% - others
Population - 46.3 thousand people (according to the Central Bureau of Statistics as of December 31).
Story
Ancient history
View of Old Akko from a great height
Acre is one of the cities in Israel whose history has continued without interruption for over 4,000 years. Acre was located at the crossroads of international trade routes and therefore has always been the center of history. Acre was a meeting point for many diverse cultures and a strategic location for military campaigns.
The first mention of the city dates back to the 19th century BC. e. (around 1800 BC) in the ancient Egyptian cuneiform archives of correspondence of the Canaanite kings found during excavations in El Amarna. During this period it was a Canaanite city located in what is today called Tel Akko (Heb. תל עכו ) - Tel el-Puhar", northeast of the modern city, 700 meters from the sea. In the book of Joshua, as well as in other sources, the city was mentioned under the names "Achshaf" and "Umma".
During the era of the Kingdom of Israel, it was ruled by the Phoenicians. In the Bible it is mentioned under the name Acre in the book of Judges in connection with the resettlement of the tribe of Asherah, into whose allotment Acre entered, but from which he was never able to expel the local Canaanite inhabitants. " Asher did not expel the inhabitants of Acre, and the inhabitants of Sidon, and Ahlav, and Achzib, and Helva, and Aphek, and Rehob." (Court. )
After the death of Alexander the Great, the city was taken over by the Egyptian Ptolemies, who gave it the name Ptolemais. Acre is mentioned under this name in the Bible, in the letters of the Apostle Paul. Captured by Antiochus the Great in 219 BC. e. Acre became part of the Seleucid Empire and was named Antioch. While under Seleucid rule, Acre repeatedly served as a base for military operations against Judea. After the death of Antiochus VII Sidetes, Acre passed from one Hellenistic ruler to another and became a virtually independent city.
Richard the Lionheart and Leopold V receive the keys to the city of Acre
The city became the capital of the Crusaders in Palestine and was surrounded by powerful defensive structures. The city received a new name - Saint-Jean d'Acre.
Turkish rule
Then, for 400 years, Acre was a small fishing village. In 1517 it was conquered by the Ottoman Turks under the command of Selim I. At the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries, the city was ruled by Druz Fakhr-a-din, who began to rebuild the city anew. In 1721, Dahar al-Amar al-Zainudi became the ruler of Galilee. Understanding the strategic location of the city, he made it his capital and began to rebuild. First of all, he restored the walls, the size of which had been reduced compared to the Crusader period, and secondly, he invited Jews, Muslims and the French to re-settle in the city and created appropriate conditions for them. In 1752 he built a fortress. In 1775, the Bosnian officer Ahmed, nicknamed Al-Jazzar (in Arabic “jazzar” - butcher) for his attitude towards his opponents, came to power in the city. Al-Jazzar continued the restoration of the city, built new mosques on the site of churches, a Turkish bath, strengthened the walls, and built his own palace and bazaar. In 1799, thanks to his Jewish adviser Chaim Farhi and the English admiral Sidney Smith, he was able to resist the siege of the city undertaken by General Bonaparte at the head of a 13,000-strong army. Tom eventually had to return to Egypt and abandon plans to advance to India. Al-Jazzar was succeeded by his son Suleiman, and he was succeeded by his brother Abdullah. Afraid too much great influence Haim Farhi, Abdullah decided to deal with him and executed him in . The Farhi brothers tried to punish the ungrateful ruler, but Abdullah was able to hold out outside the walls of the city, which the brothers were never able to take. In 1831 Acre was conquered by the Egyptian army of Ibrahim Pasha, son of Muhammad Ali. On November 4, 1840, after the city was shelled by the British-Franco-Austrian flotilla, it was returned to Turkey. In 1868, Baha'u'llah (Hussein-Ali-i-Nuri), the founder of the Baha'i religion, was sentenced to life imprisonment in the city of Acre. After construction railways Damascus - Beirut in 1896 and Haifa - Damascus in 1906 Acre lost its former strategic importance due to the rapid development of Haifa, the largest city and port of the Galilee.
Guns since the times of the Turks
British Mandate
Khan Al-Faranji
Tomb of Bahá'u'lláh
House-Museum of Bahá'u'lláh
Two kilometers north of Acre there is a magnificent park, in the center of which there is a small and beautiful house. Inside this house is the tomb of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í faith. Exactly this sacred place for her followers. The house in which Bahá'u'lláh lived until 1892 was built by Amid Turki in 1870. The building today is a museum of the Baha'i faith. The museum contains numerous original manuscripts and books on religion in many languages. A rich and very beautiful mausoleum was built over the tomb of Bahá'u'lláh.
The museum is open on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday between 9:00 and 12:00 am.
Other Baha'i shrines in Acre include the House of Abbud, the House of Abdullah Pasha (Bahá'u'lláh also lived in both for some time) and the Garden of Eden, where Bahá'u'lláh spent the last part of his life. The fortress (the prison building in which Bahá'u'lláh was imprisoned from 1868 to 1870) is also a place of pilgrimage for many Bahá'ís.
Add here the status of one of ancient cities all over the world, unique local flavor, proximity to Cote d'Azur Mediterranean Sea, and it becomes clear why thousands of tourists choose Akko among other cities for their trip. Narrow streets, old markets, fishermen's shops and ancient fortresses. A holiday here can be equated to an exciting journey through time. With all this, tourism infrastructure meets international standards, and the service is of a high level.
Acre: location and features
Acre is located in the northern district of Israel, in the western part of the Galilee. From the nearest large city, it is separated by 23 km. The population is multinational. Most of the residents of Akko are Jews, among whom there are many people from the Caucasus and immigrants from. About a quarter of the population is Muslim Arab, there are also Bedouin communities and very few Christian Arabs. Here you can hear speech in five languages: Arabic, English, Hebrew, Russian and French.
Acre is a city in Israel with a history of almost 4000 years. What has he not experienced over these millennia? IN different times Acre was conquered by the Phoenicians, Hittites, Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, and British. Someone literally leveled the city, turning the great settlement into a run-down fishing village. Someone rebuilt fortresses on the site of the ruins and gave the city new names. Acre bore such names as Ptolemais, Umma, Saint-Jean d'Acre.
The main reason for such outside attention is the location of Acre (the proximity of strategically important sea routes, favorable climate and landscape). By the way, many prominent guests visited Acre in their time (Tsar David, Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, Pharaoh Thutmose III, Marco Polo).
At the beginning of the twentieth century, UNESCO included the ancient city of Acre in the list world heritage.
Acre attractions
Acre is the only city of knightly times that has almost completely preserved its medieval appearance to this day. In addition, there are a huge number of attractions of the Ottoman period, religious monuments and unique natural sites.
You can often tell from photographs what city they were taken in. It's completely different here. In one walk you can do the following in Acre different photos that will seem to have been committed big Adventure across several cities. Azure Mediterranean beaches, ancient fortresses and knightly underground tunnels, incredible beauty heavenly gardens and majestic places of worship. You will find all this here. To plan the optimal route to the attractions that interest you most, you can use tourist card Akko.
So, what you can see in Acre:
A separate attraction of Acre is the local bazaars. The most famous of them are the Turkish Bazaar and the White Market (Al-Abyad).
Hotels in Akko
Many tourists come to Acre, some to swim in the sea, others to enjoy exciting excursions through the ancient streets. Therefore, in every part of the city there are several places where you can stay overnight: from cheap hostels to luxury hotels. The price for accommodation depends on the service and location of the hotel/apartment (on the sea coast and near the main attractions it is naturally higher).
TOP premium accommodations in Acre:
Acre mid-range hotels:
At a fairly affordable price you can book the following options:
- Apartment Acre Two Wells Zimmer;
- Chalet Asbn Magic Garden;
- guest house Nzar Khoury for Hosting.
There are also two hostels in Acre with a cozy modern environment and all the necessary amenities: Akko Gate And Akko Knights.
Things to do?
Of course, every tourist who comes to the city will definitely visit the beaches of Acre. sand line the shore stretches along the bay. The most famous and well-equipped beaches are “Argaman” (paid for foreign tourists, entrance costs about 5 shekels) and “Tmarim” (belongs to the hotel; residents living elsewhere will also have to pay).
In addition to swimming in the sea, there are a lot of exciting things to do in Acre:
- journey through the underground knightly tunnels;
- shopping at local authentic bazaars;
- fiacre ride;
- visit to the Turkish hammam;
- Boat trip.
Several interesting Israeli museums are also located in Acre: Okashi Art Museum, underground museum, ethnographical museum.
If you're lucky, you can get to the city's annual events: the Olive Festival, the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), and the alternative theater festival.
Restaurants and gastronomic attractions of Acre
Ask any Israeli: “Where is the best hummus made?”, and he will answer: “In Acre.” Here you can taste this spicy pea paste in any restaurant and cafe.
Acre is also famous for the extraordinary skill of local chefs in preparing fish dishes. For example, restaurant "Uri Buri" Akko is known throughout Israel. Here you can try a mind-blowing crayfish neck soup, delicious anchovies and the freshest caviar, which is usually served on persimmon slices.
Most cafes and restaurants are located along the beaches and in the Old Town. Tourists like to visit the following establishments:
It is worth noting that in Akko restaurants, as in all of Israel, the portions are quite large. Prices can be called moderate, significantly lower than in Tel Aviv or Eilat.
Weather in Akko
As you know, the weather in Israel, including Acre, is favorable for relaxation all year round. The climate in the Mediterranean is moderately warm. Summer is usually drier than winter. The hottest month in Acre is August ( average temperature+27°C). The coldest month is January (+13°C).
The water warms up to +23°C in summer; its temperature, even in winter, rarely drops below +17°C.
How to get there?
Acre can be reached from major cities Israel by several modes of transport:
- by bus from (ticket price – 8.5 shekels) or (ticket price – 16 shekels);
- by train from (ticket 41.5 shekels), (ticket 51.5 shekels), Haifa and Nahariya (prices are the same as for bus tickets);
- by car (you should stay on highway No. 4, which runs along the entire coast).
The distance to Acre from Tel Aviv is 98 km, from Tel Aviv – 128 km.
Bahai Gardens in Acre - one of the most beloved tourist places throughout the Mediterranean, they are visited annually by over a million tourists a year, many of those who have visited here return here again and again.
The Bahai Gardens are a unique place in its fabulous beauty and magic. The best builders and architects worked tirelessly for ten years to ensure that the created landscape impressed all those who come here. Absolutely all work was carried out only on the principle of voluntary consent and personal initiative of those who took part in the creation of what later became the eighth wonder of the world. Residents of ninety countries around the world had a hand in creating the Bahai Gardens.
The very heart of the Bahai Gardens is the Sanctuary of the Bab, which is located on Mount Carmel. Designed by the eminent Canadian architect William Southerland Maxwell, the design of the Sanctuary of the Báb combined Western and Eastern styles. In the evenings, the light of a huge number of lanterns creates a unique effect and decorates the gardens, like an emerald located on a royal crown.
Coordinates: 32.81222200,34.98638900
Monastery of the Twelve Apostles in Capernaum
In Capernaum, Jesus Christ preached in the synagogue and performed miracles. This hometown his first students. In the 30s of the twentieth century, the Greek Church of the Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles was founded on its territory.
Traditions were followed during the construction of the church island Greece, it is a complex of white cubes, above which hemispherical red domes rise. The color of the domes is a distinctive feature; they are usually made blue. Thanks to its domes, the Church of the Twelve Apostles dominates the monastery, which has the feel of a slightly neglected patriarchal estate with a luxurious garden containing poultry, peacocks with beautiful tails and dogs with surprisingly kind dispositions.
The monastery is looked after by only one monk, a native of Macedonia - Brother Irinarh. The monastery gates are almost never closed. According to legend, the Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles was erected in place of the house in which the Lord healed a paralytic.
Coordinates: 32.88193000,35.57699200
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Fortress - Monastery of the Hospitallers of St. John
The fortress - Monastery of the Hospitallers of St. John, located in the north of the Israeli city of Acre, was built in 1750 by the ruler of Acre, Dahar el-Omar, and for a long time served as a palace for the city rulers. The 40-meter-tall structure has four wings that surround a courtyard.
In the north of the fortress there were nine halls, among which were storage rooms and a large swimming pool. A hall for conferences and various ceremonies was built in the east wing. The first dining hall (refectorium) found during excavations in the mid-20th century is located in the southern part of the fortress. The very last wing to be built was the western wing, which housed a dormitory for soldiers. The fortress combines features of Romanesque and Gothic styles. Currently, the fortress houses the City Museum of Underground Prisoners.
Coordinates: 32.93307800,35.08268500
The Al-Jazzar Mosque, located in the Israeli city of Acre, was built in 1745 by order of the Palestinian ruler Al-Jazzar, who was buried here in 1804. The mosque, made of granite brought from Caesarea, was designed like the most beautiful mosques in Turkey by specialists from Greece and Cyprus. Until 1967, the Al-Jazzar Mosque was the largest Muslim center in the country.
You can get to the courtyard of the mosque by climbing the steps; there is a minaret nearby. Currently, most of the 45 rooms located in the courtyard around the mosque, where students of the Koran previously lived, are empty. Nevertheless, the mosque attracts the attention of tourists with its attractions. In the courtyard you can see a well and a white marble sundial. Inside, the mosque is richly decorated with multi-colored marble, frescoes and Persian carpets, and a special box contains hair from the beard of the Prophet Muhammad - a holy shrine for Muslims.
Coordinates: 32.92194100,35.07062500
Museum "Underground Knights' Halls"
The Underground Knights' Halls Museum is located in the ancient city of Acre, Israel. During the restoration work, halls were opened that demonstrate an example of the early Gothic style. 11 halls are open to the public, representing only a small part of the Crusader city, which was underground for centuries.
During the time of the Crusaders, these high-vaulted halls housed the headquarters of the Order of the Hospitallers, founded in the 11th century, and the Knights Templar. Among these underground rooms, the knight's hall, created more than seven centuries ago and retaining its original appearance, and the large hall located one level below, in which ceremonies and ceremonies of the crusaders may have taken place, are of interest. Here you can also see a hospital, stables, underground labyrinths, death row prisons with preserved instruments of torture and a gallows, the loop of which is located above the trap door.
There is also the opportunity to walk through the Templar tunnel, which was discovered in 1994. His total length is about 350 meters, previously it connected the Templar fortress with the city port. Only part of the tunnel, cleared and lined with wooden walkways, is currently open to the public.
Coordinates: 32.93311200,35.08268500
Acre Underground Prisoners Museum
The Museum of Underground Prisoners in Acre is located on the territory of the city fortress.
The fortress prison held members of the underground organizations Haganah, Irgun, Etzel and Lehi during the British Mandate from 1917 to 1948, which preceded the creation of Israel.
Of the famous leaders of the Resistance, Moshe Dayan and Ze'ev Jabotinsky were in this prison.
When visiting the museum, you can walk around the cells where prisoners were kept, the punishment cell, the interrogation site and the execution site. It is worth noting that the exhibitions are made with the help of statues - so in the interrogation room you will see a prisoner, a guard and a chief conducting an interrogation. This allows you to plunge deeper into the created atmosphere. You will also be able to look at the uniforms the prisoners wore.
Coordinates: 32.92365900,35.06989800
Old Port of Acre
The port of Acre is located in city of the same name, which has a very rich history, and once you have visited it, you want to return there again and again. An embankment stretches from the city port to the lighthouse. According to one of the eastern legends, the city itself is much more than 4000 years old, but the first record of the city of Acre dates back to around 1800 BC.
The Akko lighthouse, as well as the port, took its name from the city. The lighthouse, whose height reaches 16 meters above sea level, was built back in 1864, but despite this, it still works properly. The relative height of the tower is 10 meters, the tower itself is built from cylindrical rings. The lighthouse was painted with black and white stripes, and this was done specifically so that it was better visible both at night and during the day. The dome of the lighthouse is painted silver. Near the lighthouse, a small one-story house was built and painted white, in which all the equipment necessary for it was placed.
Coordinates: 32.91344100,35.07659900
Ein Afek Nature Reserve
Ein Afek is a nature reserve that is located in the heart of the Akko Valley, a little east of the city Kiryat Bialik. There are many lakes here, between which there is a boardwalk.
The reserve was founded in 1979. And four thousand years ago, a Canaanite city called Aphek stood on this site. Among the picturesque lakes stands built in 1148 by the Knights Templar. water Mill, which has survived to this day.
If you climb the hill in Ein Afek, you can admire the magnificent view of Mount Carmel, the mountains of Galilee, and take a look at the entire reserve and the adjacent areas of Kiryat Bialik.
In the reserve, picnic tables are specially made for tourists and travelers and interesting educational excursions are held with a narration about the past and present of the reserve.
Coordinates: 32.84750000,35.11069500
The most popular attractions in Acre with descriptions and photographs for every taste. Choose best places to visit famous places of Acre on our website.
Thanks to or despite the numerous changes of cultures that dominated this territory, Acre is a unique historical heritage of Israel, combining the cultures of east and west, past and future. It is not surprising that Acre has always been the center of history, since it was located at the crossroads of trade routes and was considered an important strategic point for various military campaigns. The modern city of Acre has grown far beyond the Old City. It is inhabited by Jews, Muslim Arabs, Christian Arabs, Druze, Armenians, Bahais, and all these peoples coexist peacefully in a small area.
Acre, as one of the ancient cities, is replete with numerous historical and cultural monuments of different times and the peoples who inhabited it. Thanks to such a rich history and attractions, it is considered one of the main tourist centers of the country. In 2001, he was awarded by the international organization UNESCO for preserving the world cultural heritage. Here is the only crusader city that has been completely preserved to this day.
The first mention of the city appears about 4,000 years ago, when it was under Egyptian rule. In the 4th century BC. Alexander the Great conquered the city and turned it into a Greek colony. At this time it became a major port city and the most important in the colony. After the death of Alexander the Great, Acre repeatedly changed rulers and its name, which ultimately made it an independent Greek city. During the Roman era, Acre became part of the Roman Empire and played an important role for the Romans during the period of the Jewish Wars - the uprising of the Jews for independent state. Julius Caesar also came to Acre at one time.
During times crusades Real battles broke out for this city, and Acre alternately passed into the hands of the Crusaders and Muslims. And in 1191, the city became the capital of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem after it was captured by troops under the command of the French and English kings Philip Augustus and Richard the Lionheart. Acre was renamed Saint-Jean d'Acre and surrounded by powerful walls, some of which have survived to this day. Numerous buildings erected by knightly orders also appeared: churches, monasteries, residential buildings, and administrative buildings. A 350 m long tunnel built by the Templars has survived to this day, connecting the Templar fortress and sea port. Of the military-religious orders, the Templars, Hospitallers, and the Teutonic Order lived in Acre. The ancient city in those days was also inhabited by merchants from Pisa, Genoa and Venice. At the same time, Acre also became the center of Jewish learning; the higher religious educational institution Yeshiva Rabbi Yehiel moved here from Paris with his students. However, the power of the crusaders in Acre did not last long; conflicts constantly broke out between representatives of different orders, which ultimately led to its fall. In 1291, the city was captured by the Mamluks - warriors of medieval Egypt. They massacred most of Acre's Christian and Jewish inhabitants and also destroyed churches and monasteries.
In 1517, Acre fell into the hands of the Ottoman Turks. Subsequent rulers, from 1750 to 1840, rebuilt the city and restored the fortress, taking into account its advantageous strategic position. All conditions were also created for Jews, French and Muslims to live here. In 1775, Ahmad Al-Jazzar became the ruler of Acre, and continued the restoration of the fortress, which withstood the siege of Napoleon's army. Under him, Acre became the main port of the Levantine coast, new mosques, a Turkish bath, a bazaar, and city walls were built, some of which still exist. One of the mosques is named Al-Jazzara and is the third most important mosque in Israel after Al-Aqsa and Qubbat Al-Sakhra, located in Jerusalem. For a long time, the Al-Jazzara Mosque was the largest and most important Muslim center. It was built on the remains of the Templar church in the likeness of Turkish mosques. Special specialists from Cyprus and Greece were invited for construction, and building materials, for example, granite, were brought from. The mosque building itself is white, for which it is also called the White Mosque. One of the Muslim shrines is kept here - three hairs from the beard of the Prophet Muhammad. Inns or khans have also survived to this day. The most famous of them is Khan Al-Umdan, built under Al-Jazzar. This is a two-story house with a large courtyard inside; the upper floor was used for living, and the lower floor, along which arches and columns were built, was used as warehouses. Later, a clock tower was built above the main entrance to the courtyard, which is its distinctive feature. Khan Al-Faranji is the oldest inn, but is still well preserved. The building was built by French merchants in the center of the Venetian quarter. Nowadays it houses a Franciscan school and a church. The remaining two inns of Khan A-Shuard and Khan A-Shun have been destroyed and are in an abandoned state. In the center of the Old Town there is a functioning Turkish Bazaar, where a variety of souvenirs are sold.
Since 1840, Acre was again transferred to the Turkish Sultan, during whose reign many walls ancient city were destroyed. In 1868, Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í faith, arrived in Acre to serve his prison term and lived here until his death, continuing to spread his teachings. His grave is located in the Baha'i Gardens near Acre. In addition to the tomb of the founder of the faith, the fortress of Acre, where Bahá'u'lláh was imprisoned, is also a place of pilgrimage for Baha'is.
Later, with the advent of railways connecting Haifa and Damascus, Haifa began to rapidly develop as an important industrial and seaport, and Acre gradually lost its strategic importance. During the First World War, the city was captured by the British army under the leadership of General Allenby. From that moment on, the British ruled it under the Mandate for Palestine and turned Acre into the administrative center of the north of the country, and a prison for Jewish political prisoners was created in the Turkish fortress. In 1948, Acre was captured by the Israeli army. After the war, the city increasingly began to expand beyond the walls of the fortress, and Old Acre turned into tourist centre Israel. Many historical monuments were discovered during excavations in our time, restored and opened to tourists. At the entrance to Old city you can see a map that will help you find objects of interest.
The history of Acre is not typical of the ancient cities of this part of the Mediterranean (Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gaza, Jaffa, etc.). Rapid growth and prosperity in the Roman era - then decline and oblivion - such a fate happily passed Acre. However, first things first.
The city of Acre is located in the northern part of Western Galilee on the Mediterranean coast. Highway number 4, starting at the northernmost border of Israel, runs along the modern and ancient parts of Acre, clearly follows all the bizarre curves of the sea coast and ends in the south, at Ashkelon.
The exact origin of the name Acre is unknown. One of the legends tells that the waters of the Flood stopped at the border of this city. “Until now” - the Hebrew sound of these words became the name of Acre.
The city is about 5 thousand years old. Based on the history of such cities, one can study the history of the country: for example, its conquest by the Egyptian Ptolemaic dynasty and renamed the city Ptolemais, and by the crusaders - Saint-Jean d'Acre.
The rulers of all the empires and kingdoms known to us visited here. The presence of the Crusaders in the city turned Acre into the capital of their kingdom.
This happened after their expulsion from Jerusalem. The military knightly orders of the Hospitallers, Templars, and later the Teutons acquired their own quarters here, which included residential buildings, warehouses, hospitals, churches and public buildings. Along with them, similar quarters were owned by the city-states of Italy: Genoa, Pisa, Venice. More than forty churches and 23 monasteries grew up in different parts of the city. Each of those named strengthened himself and contributed to the overall powerful fortifications of the city. Jewish sages moved here. Francis of Assisi founded a language school here. Prosperity is obvious. This is evidenced by the “knights’ halls” currently being restored, city fortifications, and a number of inner-city buildings.
And the more rapid was the force of the fall that came after the capture of Acre by the hater of Christians, the Mamluk Sultan Baybars. Until 1750, Acre should be forgotten. Without bothering the reader with the names of the rulers, we will mention only one - Jazzar Pasha, to whose name a number of buildings in the city are dedicated, including the third largest mosque in the country. It was during his reign that Emperor Napoleon tried to capture the city and failed. The fortress survived and still stands to this day.
Like Jerusalem, Acre also has an Old City in which nothing has changed for at least a couple of centuries. As a matter of fact, everything that was mentioned above applies to him.
Old Acre is a unique city with historical objects of the era. Not a single city of this era has survived to this day in such condition and in such preservation. In 2001, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee included Acre on its list of Outstanding World Heritage Sites.
But it's time to return to modern times.
After the proclamation of the State of Israel (1948), modern development of the city began. Today Acre is the administrative center of the Western Galilee, with branches and departments of ministries, public institutions and courts.
Like Jerusalem, the residential areas of New Acre are located around the Old City. The new neighborhoods are no different from those in any other city in Israel.
Today fifty-one thousand people live in Akko, of which 24% are repatriates. The population is 50,000 people.
The average price of a 4-room apartment is $90,000
Arnona (1998) $5 to $8.
Green spaces - 2 hectares.
Educational institutions - 15 primary schools. 4 gymnasiums. Branch of the University of Haifa, Western Galilee College "Yad Nathan" - branch of Bar-Ilan University. Maritime School. Conservatorion.
Places of employment - Industrial zone. Food industry enterprises "Miluot", "Ti-vol", "Granot". Tourism sector
Residents - under 18 years old - 32%. Pensioners - 15%. Unemployment -10. 9%.
From the former USSR, 25% of Arabs are citizens of Israel, some of whom are Christians. And, pah-pah, there were no terrorist attacks in Acre, perhaps thanks to the large Arab community.
The port of Acre has completely lost its importance (due to the construction of the Haifa port) and now serves only local fishermen and owners of yachts, boats and boats. Acre has developed metallurgical, textile and food industries. However, the problem of employment is acute in this city. Many Akko residents work in Haifa. Also a good option, since housing prices here are much lower than in Haifa.
Acre is also known for the international festival of “Non-Traditional or Alternative Theater” that takes place here every year during the Sukkot holiday, and for the vocal music festival “Echo of Voices” during the Passover holiday.
Thanks to the large “Russian” community, the city has many “Russian” shops with the usual food and drink. Starting from dumplings and dumplings and ending with Stolichnaya and Gorilka. And bookstores with books from Russia are also not out of place here.
And 13 kilometers from Acre is Haifa with its University and Technion, its museums, its concert and theater halls.
And now let’s return to the Old Town again, but this time it’s modern.
Excavation work on Acre's historical treasures continues. Thus, quite recently a 200-meter Templar tunnel was opened, the entrance to which is located near the Old Lighthouse.
The Israeli Ministry of Tourism is investing, through the Acre Old Town Development Company, millions of dollars to restore the old quarters. For many years, a program has been implemented to transform Acre into international center historical tourism.
And now smoke rises over the Old City, emanating from the fryers, falafel shops, and endless cafes. Its entire territory is crossed by the main market. Here you can find everything: any food, nuts, spices, jewelry, amazing sea shells, clothes, anything and, of course, fish. The food in fish cafes and restaurants is surprisingly tasty and relatively inexpensive.
And the pier - the fortress wall - is one of the favorite walking places for townspeople. And you shouldn’t pay attention to the contrast inherent in all places where Arabs live: the slickness and cleanliness of the front door and the garbage that has been stored for years in the outskirts.
Akko is who he is and, personally, that’s what I like.
