Akko (Acre, Acco) is one of the most ancient and historically significant cities in Israel, a port city on the northern curve of Haifa Bay that has been continuously inhabited for over 4,000 years. The city has been conquered by virtually every empire that has ruled the eastern Mediterranean: Egyptians, Canaanites, Phoenicians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Crusaders, Mamluks, Ottomans, Napoleon (almost), the British, and finally the State of Israel. Each conqueror left traces in the stone, and walking through Akko’s Old City is walking through a compressed history of the entire region.
Ancient City
Akko appears in Egyptian records as early as the 19th century BCE (the Execration Texts), making it one of the oldest documented cities in the world. The city is mentioned in the Bible as a city that the tribe of Asher failed to conquer: “Neither did Asher drive out those living in Akko” (Judges 1:31). In the Hellenistic period, the city was renamed Ptolemais, and the Apostle Paul stopped here on his final journey to Jerusalem: “We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day” (Acts 21:7). Under Roman rule, Akko became a major port and military base.
Crusader Capital
Akko’s golden age came during the Crusader period (1104-1291), when it served as the capital of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem after the fall of Jerusalem to Saladin in 1187. The city was the last major Crusader stronghold in the Holy Land, and for nearly 200 years it was the most important port in the eastern Mediterranean: a cosmopolitan, multilingual, fabulously wealthy city where Italian merchants, French knights, German monks, and pilgrims from across Europe traded, prayed, and fought.
Three great military-religious orders had their headquarters in Akko: the Knights Hospitaller (Order of St. John), whose magnificent underground fortress has been excavated beneath the modern city; the Knights Templar, whose secret underground tunnel connecting their fortress to the port was rediscovered in 1994; and the Teutonic Knights. The rivalry between these orders, and between the Italian merchant republics of Venice, Genoa, and Pisa, made Crusader Akko a city of magnificent buildings and violent street warfare in roughly equal measure.
Fall of Akko (1291)
On May 18, 1291, the Mamluk Sultan al-Ashraf Khalil breached the walls of Akko after a brutal six-week siege. The fall of Akko ended the Crusader presence in the Holy Land after 187 years. The last defenders, a group of Templar knights, held out in their seaside tower for ten days after the rest of the city fell, until the tower collapsed under the weight of the Mamluk assault, killing defenders and attackers alike. The Mamluks systematically destroyed the city to prevent any future Crusader return, and Akko lay in ruins for centuries.
Al-Jazzar and the Ottoman Revival
Akko was rebuilt in the 18th century by Ahmed al-Jazzar (“the Butcher”), a Bosnian-born Ottoman governor who earned his nickname through his brutal methods of governance. Despite his fearsome reputation, al-Jazzar was also a builder: he constructed the great mosque that bears his name (1781), the Turkish bath (Hammam al-Basha), the Khan al-Umdan caravanserai, fortified the city walls, and rebuilt the harbor. His greatest moment came in 1799.
Napoleon’s Defeat (1799)
In March 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte, fresh from his conquest of Egypt, marched north along the coast to take Akko. He expected the city to fall quickly, as Jaffa and Gaza had before it. Instead, he encountered al-Jazzar, who had prepared the defenses and received critical naval support from the British Royal Navy under Sir Sidney Smith. Smith’s ships intercepted Napoleon’s siege artillery at sea, depriving the French of the heavy guns they needed to breach the walls. For two months (March-May 1799), Napoleon launched assault after assault. Al-Jazzar’s forces, supplied by British guns and intelligence, repulsed every attack.
Napoleon lost over 2,000 men, many to plague as well as combat. He was forced to retreat to Egypt, reportedly saying: “If I had been able to take Acre, I would have marched on Damascus and Constantinople and changed the destiny of the world.” Akko was the only city that defeated Napoleon in battle, and the walls that stopped him are the walls that visitors walk past today. The failure at Akko ended Napoleon’s eastern ambitions and ultimately contributed to his return to France, his seizure of power, and the reshaping of European history.
British Mandate and the Prison
Under the British Mandate (1920-1948), the Citadel was converted into a central prison that held both criminal and political prisoners. Members of the Jewish underground organizations (Haganah, Irgun, and Lehi) were imprisoned and executed here. The Akko Prison became one of the most significant sites in the story of the struggle for Israeli independence, and the daring prison break of May 1947, when Irgun fighters blasted through the walls and freed 27 Jewish prisoners, became one of the defining events of the underground struggle.
Old City Today
Akko’s Old City was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001, recognized as “an exceptional example of an Ottoman walled town with urban components dating back to the Crusader period.” The Old City is home to approximately 15,000 residents, predominantly Arab (Muslim and Christian), who live and work in the same streets where Crusader knights walked 800 years ago. The Old City is divided between the tourist attractions (the Crusader halls, the tunnel, the mosque, the bathhouse) and the living neighborhoods where children play in alleys, laundry hangs from balconies, and the call to prayer echoes five times a day.
Key Sites
The Knights’ Halls – The underground Hospitaller fortress, the largest Crusader building in Israel, with vaulted halls, a refectory, and the Enchanted Garden.
The Templar Tunnel – A 150-meter secret underground passage connecting the Templar fortress to the port, rediscovered in 1994.
The Or Torah Synagogue – A stunning synagogue covered entirely in colorful mosaics, built by Tunisian Jewish immigrants.
The Citadel Prison – Where Jewish underground fighters were held and executed during the British Mandate.
Al-Jazzar Mosque – The largest mosque in Israel outside Jerusalem, built by the governor who defeated Napoleon.
The Turkish Bath (Hammam al-Basha) – A restored Ottoman bathhouse with multimedia presentation.
Khan al-Umdan – The finest Ottoman caravanserai, with columns from Caesarea and a clock tower.
The Fishing Port – Colorful boats, fresh fish restaurants, and the sea wall walk to sunset.
The Market (Suq) – Spices, baklava, hummus, and the best knafeh on the coast.
The Food
Akko is widely considered to have the best Arab food in Israel. The Old City’s restaurants serve hummus that is prepared fresh each morning, grilled fish caught from the harbor that same day, and knafeh (sweet cheese pastry soaked in syrup) that rivals anything in Nablus. The market stalls sell fresh-squeezed pomegranate juice, mountains of baklava, and spices measured from open bins. Uri Buri, a legendary fish restaurant on the sea wall, has been called one of the best restaurants in Israel. Eating in Akko is not a sidebar to the historical tour; it is an essential part of the experience.
Visit with Hoshen Tours
Akko is a full half-day experience that covers 4,000 years of history, from the Canaanite period through the Crusaders to Napoleon to the British Mandate, all within walking distance, and all punctuated by the best food on the coast. Hoshen Tours navigates the underground tunnels, the Ottoman monuments, the market, and the sea wall, telling the stories that connect each stone to the next. For a detailed walking route, see our Akko Old City Walking Guide.