Acre

Acre, the ancient city of Akko dates back to 1500 BC and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its commanding position on the shore at the northern end of the Bay of Acre has made it the target for many different invaders. We started our walking tour in the 13th century Citadel and prison, used as recently as the mid 20th century by the British when they occupied Palestine before the creation of Israel.
	Underneath the citadel, there is a complex of halls used by the Hospitallers Knights.
A major feature of the complex of buildings is a narrow "secret" tunnel leading from the citadel and emerging in the middle of the old town market area.
	The great mosque was built in the late 18th century. To get back to our coach, we walked through the narrow crowded streets of the market and stopped at a highly recommended spice shop, with a strange mixture of aromas from the spices displayed in open baskets.
The market featured a wide variety of shops and stalls, together with open air restaurants.
	Eventually we emerged into a more modern area, where our tour bus was parked.

Acre (Akko)