This blog has been long overdue, I've been out of the blogging world for a few days because of some internal glitches in my semi-antique personal computer, I've been solemnly praying for a kind soul, as in super kind to the point that he/she will give me a laptop *grins*.
For my month-sary destination, I present Akko...
The five thousand years old city got its name from the Greek word aka, which means cure, according to the ancient Greeks, Hercules was once seriously wounded and the herb that he used to alleviate his pains was found in this port. Many other personalities of noble and royal blood, though not immortal like Hercules, are associated with this ancient city - King David, Herod the Great, Emperor Augustus, Ptolemy II, Philadelphus, Emperor Claudius, Richard Lion Heart, Louis IX, St. Jean d'Acre of the Crusaders, Marco Polo, the Arabs Saladin and Ahmed Pasha al-Jazzar, and Napoleon Bonaparte.
The Crusader Citadel (featured photo) is a large fortress which became the administrative headquarters of the crusader's religious orders and it is the oldest example of medieval Gothic architecture.
We paid 46nis (560php) per person for our multi-site ticket before we proceeded to the prominent sites of Acre (English name of Akko) which includes the Knights Hall, The Okashi Museum, The Turkish Bath Movie, The Ethnography Center of Acre and Galilee and The Templers Tunnel. Below photos are the Visitor's Center where you can get all the informations, guidelines, maps and leaflets you need for the entire tour and a personal photo of my sis with Abed, he was the security guard who taught us how to use a remote controlled-gadget which acts as a translator, it has recorded English explanations.
First photo below is the Courtyard which is, extremely, spacious and located next to the Prisoners Hall, unfortunately, the latter was close due to preservation works. The second one is the Reflectorium or the grand dining hall, you can notice the details of its medieval architectural design.
Photos below is of the Great Hall, it is a very huge antechamber decorated with sculptures and stone works, sadly, it was, still, under the preservation effort during our visit. The Knights Hall is a large lobby with five beautiful columns that serves as archway, it is directly connected to the Great Hall.
The Hospitaller Fortress is a small, lower tunnel built by the Knights of the Order of St. John, it is a series of wings built along the city's northern wall, which contain storerooms, dormitories, reservoirs and halls. At the end of the tunnel is the Crypt, the hall are roofed with the combination of cross and barrel vaults 5.5 meters high and are originally from the crusaders period. From the second half of the 12th century the halls served as the foundation of St. John Church, which was the main church of the Hospitaller Order of Acre.
Photos below is called the Turkish Bazaar, the first one illustrates a man doing metal works, he's involved in the business of bronze and metal plate arts. Turkish Bazaar was originally built as a municipal market place by the Ottoman Turks, now, it serves as artisans and artists' bazaar, and houses small souvenir shops.
The Pasha's Turkish Bath is very beautiful, it was made of Turkish tiles, a domed roof inlaid with glass circles, and marble floors, it is easy to believe that it was the most magnificent bath house in the past. We watched a mini-movie about al-Jazzar and the history behind his luxurious hamman (left photo below). The second picture shows a diorama of the bathing rituals during those days, like the other bath houses of the time, this one, also, worked as a meeting place where people congregate to discuss relevant issues, rest and eat a meal.
The Al-Jazzar Mosque is the largest mosque in Akko, Israel, it was built on the vaulted rooms of the crusaders' fortress and elaborately decorated with arabesques and marbles.
The Eastern Land Wall Promenade was the route that Napoleon Bonaparte took on his unsuccessful attempt to siege the old city, the right photo below is one of Napoleon's canons in Al-Jazzar Wall. Between 1800 and 1814 new walls (the Al-Jazar walls) were built around Acre. These are especially thick, double walls, with wide and strong watchtowers. In addition, heavy guns for protecting the city were put in place.
Khan El-Omdan, was built in the late 18th century by Ahmed El-Jazer, it was constructed with a series of granite columns that were brought from the various sites in the area. There was a large merchant's inn near the port which was used for international trade. Merchants who arrived at the port unloaded their goods at the storerooms of the inn on the first floor and stayed in the rooms of the second floor, which constituted a unique hotel.
The Templars Tunnel served as a relocation site for the military-monastic order which, on behalf of the pope, took care of pilgrims and patients who came from Europe to the land of Israel, in order to visit the holy places. The Temple Fortress was the strongest building in the city and the major part of it abuts the shoreline. The tunnel was discovered by chance in 1994, a complaint about a blocked sewer from a woman living in an apartment above the tunnel, led those who came to check at the Templar Quarter's system of subterranean tunnels. The Old Acre Development Company had the dirt removed and adapted the tunnel for visitors. Stage one of the work was completed and the tunnel was opened to the public in 1999.
Old Acre was surrounded by walls shaped like an irregular pentagon which was done during the Ottoman regime in the year 1750 to 1840. Pictures below shows the lighthouse and the marina fishing port, the latter is, considered to be, the oldest port in the world.
A wonderful place that is full of wonderful people, that is the magic of Akko.
Old Akko Development Company Ltd.
Fax # +9725-4-9919418
