Showing 1-11 of 11 results
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Al-Jazzar Mosque
Perhaps a little bit patchy up close, from a distance the large green dome and slender pencil minaret of Al-Jazzar Mosque form a beautiful ensemble. The mosque was built in 1781 in typical Ottoman Turkish style with a little local improvisation in parts; the columns in the courtyard, for example, were looted from Roman Caesarea. Around by the base of the minaret, the small twin-domed building contains the sarcophagi of Al-Jazzar and his adopted son and successor, Süleyman.
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Burj al-Kuraijim
Heading west along Al-Jazzar's wall brings you to Burj al-Kuraijim , also known as the British Fortress. From here, the 12th century sea wall (refaced in the 18th century by Al-Jazzar with stones scavenged from the Crusader castle at Atlit) runs due south before looping around to the harbour. In the shadow of the sea wall is HaHaganah St, which terminates in a car park beside the lighthouse at the southernmost tip of Old Akko.
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Hammam al-Pasha
From the end of the Turkish Bazaar, turn right and look out for the Hammam al-Pasha, housed in the 1780 bathhouse built by Al-Jazzar, which remained in use until the 1940s. The Hammam now contains a worthwhile 30-minute multimedia show called 'The Story of the Last Bath Attendant.' The creatively designed exhibit leads you from the dressing room through the steamy rooms, all brilliantly lit with coloured glass.
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Khan al-Umdan
Old Akko has several large khans (an inn enclosing a courtyard, used by caravans for accommodation) which once served the camel caravans bringing in grain from the hinterland. The grandest is the Khan al-Umdan . Its name means 'Inn of the Pillars', and it was built by Al-Jazzar in 1785. The pillars that give the khan its name were looted from Caesarea. It's a two storey structure and the ground floor would have housed the animals, while their merchant owners would have slept upstairs.
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Knights' Halls
Buy tickets for the Subterranean Crusader City from the kiosk outside the touirist office. Head across the lawn to the entry to the Knights' Halls , a haunting series of vaulted halls that lie 8m below the street level.
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Kurdi & Berit
From the Turkish Bathhouse, head away from the Crusader City and follow your nose to Akko's small but bustling souq. Here fresh hummus is boiled in giant vats while fresh fish nearby flop off the tables. As carts trundle past, children shuck corn and vendors hawk fresh fruit, all to the soundtrack of tinny Arabic music playing from battered radios. As you browse the stalls, visit Kurdi & Berit a tourist-friendly shop that ships herbs and spices worldwide.
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Museum of Underground Prisoners
Before exploring the Knights' Halls climb up the stairs behind the ticket kiosk to the top of the Akko Citadel, a rambling structure built by the Turks in the late 18th century on 13th-century Crusader foundations. At the top of the stairs, turn left to reach the Museum of Underground Prisoners , which is dedicated to the Jewish resistance during the British Mandate. The citadel served for a while as a prison whose inmates included Ze'ev Jabotinsky, a leader of the Jewish underground, in the 1920s.
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Okashi Art Museum
Around the corner from the Hamman al-Pasha (back towards the Crusader City) is the Okashi Art Museum , a gallery devoted to the works of Avshalom Okashi (1916-80), an influential Israeli painter and a resident of Akko for the last half of his life.
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Purple Beach
The best bathing spot is Purple Beach , so named because of the royally favoured dye obtained from the snails that frequented the area in ancient times. With wonderful views of Old Akko on the horizon, the beach is popular with Israelis.
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Templar Crusader Tunnel
Near the lighthouse parking lot at the southern tip of Akko, look out for the amazing Templar Crusader Tunnel , an underground passageway that connected the Port to a Templar palace. The tunnel was found by accident in 1994 after a complaint made by a local woman about a blocked sewer led a plumber to the underground shaft. The tunnel was investigated and opened to tourists.
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Tourist Office
The 600m-long Southern Road was an important thoroughfare in Akko during Crusader times. It was here that pilgrims entering the Holy Land would be divided into groups before setting off towards Jerusalem. The road was recently found buried under the city and a 50m subterranean stretch has been excavated and prepared for tourism. The road is paved with stone tablets and its walls contain Crusader-era carvings of boats, crosses and shields.
Showing 1-11 of 11 results
