Acre
Old Acre from above
Hebrew	עַכּו?
(Standard)	ʻAkko
Arabic	عكّ?
Government	City
District	North
Population	45,800 (2005)
Jurisdiction	10,300 dunams (10.3 km)
Mayor	Shimon Lankri

Acre (or Akko) (Hebrew: עַכּוֹ‎ akko; Arabic: عكّا akka) ^[1], is a city in the Western Galilee district of northern Israel. It is situated on a low promontory at the northern extremity of the Haifa Bay. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Acre had a population 45,800 at the end of 2005. From ancient times, Acre was regarded as the "key to Palestine" because of its strategic coastal location.

History

Acre is probably to be identified with the Aak of the tribute-lists of Thutmoses III (c. 1500 B.C.), and it is certainly the Akka of the Amarna letters. To the Hebrews it was known as Akko, but it is mentioned only once in the Old Testament, namely Judges 1:31, as one of the places from which the Israelites did not drive out the Canaanite inhabitants. Theoretically it was in the territory of the tribe of Asher, and Josephus assigns it by name to the district of one of Solomon's provincial governors. Throughout the period of Hebrew domination, however, its political connections were always with Phoenicia rather than with the Philistines: thus, around 725 BC it joined Sidon and Tyre in a revolt against Shalmaneser V. It had a stormy experience during the three centuries preceding the Christian era.

The Greek and Roman periods

The Greek historians name it Ake (Josephus calls it also Akre); but the name was changed to Antiochia Ptolemais shortly after Alexander the Great's conquest, and then to Ptolemais, probably by Ptolemy Soter, after the partition of the kingdom of Alexander the Great. [1]

Strabo refers to the city as once a rendezvous for the Persians in their expeditions against Egypt. About 165 BC Simon Maccabaeus defeated the Syrians in many battles in Galilee, and drove them into Ptolemais. About 153 BC Alexander Balas, son of Antiochus Epiphanes, contesting the Syrian crown with Demetrius, seized the city, which opened its gates to him. Demetrius offered many bribes to the Maccabees to obtain Jewish support against his rival, including the revenues of Ptolemais for the benefit of the Temple in Jerusalem, but in vain. Jonathan threw in his lot with Alexander, and in 150 BC he was received by him with great honour in Ptolemais. Some years later, however, Tryphon, an officer of the Syrians, who had grown suspicious of the Maccabees, enticed Jonathan into Ptolemais and there treacherously took him prisoner.

The city was also assaulted and captured by Alexander Jannaeus, by Cleopatra VII of Egypt and by Tigranes II of Armenia. Here Herod built a gymnasium, and here the Jews met Petronius, sent to set up statues of the emperor in the Temple, and persuaded him to turn back. St Paul spent a day in Ptolemais (Acts 21:7). A Roman colonia was established at the city, Colonia Claudii Cæsaris. [2]

Arab rule and the Crusades

The Arabs captured the city in 638 CE, and held it until the Crusaders conquered Acre in 1104. The Crusaders made the town their chief port in Palestine. It was re-taken by Saladin in 1187, besieged by Guy of Lusignan in 1189 at the Siege of Acre, and again captured by Richard the Lionheart in 1191. It then became the capital of the remnant of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. In 1229 it was placed under the control of the Knights Hospitaller (whence came one of its alternative names). It was the final stronghold of the Crusader state, and fell to a bloody siege to the Mameluks in 1291. The Ottomans under Sultan Selim I captured the city in 1517, after which it fell into almost total decay. Maundrell in 1697 found it a complete ruin, save for a khan (caravanserai) occupied by some French merchants, a mosque and a few poor cottages.

(The Crusaders called the city "Acre" or "Saint-Jean d'Acre" since they mistakenly identified it with the Philistine city of Ekron, in southern Israel (Tel Miqne-Ekron). Josephus' mention of "Akre" should be checked to see exactly which city he was referring to.)

Ottoman rule

Towards the end of the 18th century it revived under the rule of Dhaher El-Omar, the local sheikh: his successor, Jezzar Pasha, governor of Damascus, improved and fortified it, but by heavy imposts secured for himself all the benefits derived from his improvements. About 1780 Jezzar peremptorily banished the French trading colony, in spite of protests from the French government, and refused to receive a consul.

In 1799 Napoleon, in pursuance of his scheme for raising a Syrian rebellion against Turkish domination, appeared before Acre, but after a siege of two months (March--May) was repulsed by the Turks, aided by Sir Sidney Smith and a force of British sailors. Having lost his siege cannons to Smith, Napoleon attempted to lay siege to the walled city defended by Ottoman troops on 20 March, 1799, using only his infantry and small-caliber cannons, a strategy which failed, leading to his retreat two months later on May 21.

Jezzar was succeeded on his death by his son Suleiman, under whose milder rule the town advanced in prosperity till 1831, when Ibrahim Pasha besieged and reduced the town and destroyed its buildings. On November 4, 1840 it was bombarded by the allied British, Austrian and French squadrons, and in the following year restored to Turkish rule.

The British Mandate

The citadel of Acre was used by the British as a prison mainly for political prisoners, and as a location for a gallows. Jewish underground movement activists, such as Zeev Jabotinsky and Shlomo Ben-Yosef, an Irgun activist, were jailed in the citadel-prison of Acre. Ben-Yosef was the first Jew to be executed under the British mandate. According to the first census after the British rule over Acre, the province's population was 100,000 inhabitants, most of whom were Shiite Turks, Turkomans, Azeris, Persians, Bosnians, Albanians, and Circassians as well as a small community of Greeks. It included the modern cities of Sidon, Tyre, Nabatiye, Nahariyya, and some other inner villages and towns such as Umm al-Faraj, Mazra'a, Dayr al-Qassi.

On May 4, 1947, the Irgun broke into the Acre citadel prison in order to release Jewish activists imprisoned there by the British. Some 255 inmates escaped, the majority Arab [3]. Twenty-seven prisoners from armed Jewish groups escaped (20 from Irgun, seven from Lehi). In the immediate aftermath of the raid, nine were killed, five attackers and eight escapees were captured.

Despite the heavy toll in human lives, the action was described by foreign journalists as "the greatest jail break in history." The London Ha'aretz correspondent wrote on May 5:

"The attack on Acre jail has been seen here as a serious blow to British prestige... Military circles described the attack as a strategic masterpiece."

The New York Herald Tribune wrote that the underground had carried out "an ambitious mission, their most challenging so far, in perfect fashion." Of the five captured attackers, three who had been carrying weapons were tried and sentenced to death; the other two, minors who were unarmed when captured, received life sentences. [4]

Israeli rule

Acre fell under territory assigned by the 1947 UN Partition Plan to a future Arab State in Palestine. The plan was rejected by the Palestinian Arabs. The town was captured by the Jewish Haganah on May 17, 1948, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. About three-fourths of its Arab population (1944 est. pop. 13,000) fled from the city during this time.

The old city of Acre has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and contains a tunnel leading to a 13th century fortress of the Knights Templar. Since the 1990s, there are vast works of archeological excavations and preservations of ancient structures in progress. Acre has one of the higher proportions of non-Jews of any of Israel's cities with roughly 27.6 percent Arab and Druze population[5], as well as a smaller minority of Bahá'ís. The city is a magnet for tourists and the home of the country's steel industry. It also produces exports including iron, chemicals, and textiles.

Acre today

Old City of Acre*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	Israel
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iii, v
Reference	1042
Region	Europe and North America
Inscription History
Inscription	2001  (25th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

Acre's Old City has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since the 1990s, the Old Acre Development Company has been carrying out important conservation work, and many archeological digs are under way. Among the city's many historical landmarks is an underground passageway leading to a fortress of the Knights Templar from the 13th century.

The walls

In 1750, Daher El-Omar, the ruler of Acre, utilized the remnants of the Crusader walls as a foundation for his walls. They were reinforced between 1775 and 1799 by Jezzar Pasha and survived Napoleon's siege. The wall was thin: its height was 10 to 13 metres (33 to 43 feet) and its thickness only one metre (3 feet).

A heavy land defense wall was built north and east to the city in 1800-1814 by Jezzar Pasha (called by the locals Al-Jezzar) and his Jewish advisor Haim Farkhi. This wall is the first notable thing to come into sight when coming to Acre. It is a modern counter artillery fortification which includes a thick defensive wall, a dry moat, cannon outposts and three Burges (large defensive towers).

The sea wall, which remains mostly complete, is the original El-Omar's wall that was reinforced by al-Jezzar.

The Great Mosque

The Al Jezzar mosque was built by Jezzar Pasha (d. 1804) from materials taken from Caesarea Maritima: his tomb is within.

Hamam al Basha

Hamam is a hot Turkish bath. Acre's Hamam is notable mainly because it was used by the Irgun as a bridge to break into the citadel's prison.

The Citadel

The current building which consists the citadel of Acre is an Ottoman fortification, built on the foundation of the Hospitallerian citadel. The citadel was part of the city's defensive formation, reinforcing the northern wall.

During the 20th century the citadel was used mainly as a prison and as the site for a gallows. During the British mandate period, activists of Jewish Zionist resistance movements were held prisoner there; some were executed there. In 1947, members of the Irgun broke into the citadel and released many prisoners.

Today, the citadel of Acre contains the following:

• The Ottoman fortifications (including the tower and the moat).
• Acre Old City Visitor Centers.
• The "enchanted garden": a new garden that is planted according to historical description of the garden that was there during the Crusades period.
• Acre's British prison and the gallows.
• Memorial for Jewish resistance fighters executed during the British mandate.
• A Museum for the Jewish resistance prisoners, מוזיאון אסירי המחתרות .
• Prison cell of Bahá'u'lláh, Founder of the Bahá'í Faith.
• Knights' Halls (see below).

As of August 2004, the citadel is partly closed due to preservation work.

The Knights' Halls

Under the citadel and prison of Acre, archeological excavations revealed a complex of halls, which was built and used by the Hospitallers Knights. This complex was a part of the Hospitallers' citadel, which was combined in the northern wall of Acre.

The complex includes:

• Six semi-joint halls.
• One large hall, recently excavated.
• Dungeon.
• Dining room (with a tunnel).
• Posta and Crypta (remains of an ancient Gothic church).

(Those interested in medieval European remains should also visit the Church of Saint George and adjacent houses at the Genovese Square (called Kikar ha-Genovezim or Kikar Genoa in Hebrew). There were also residential quarters and marketplaces run by merchants from Pisa and Amalfi in Crusader and medieval Acre, so today there are also Pisa and Amalfi Squares in the old city.)

Bahá'í holy places

There are many Bahá'í holy places in and around Acre. They originate from Bahá'u'lláh's imprisonment in the Citadel during Ottoman Rule. The final years of Bahá'u'lláh's life were spent in the Mansion of Bahjí, just outside Acre, even though he was still formally a prisoner of the Ottoman Empire.

Bahá'u'lláh died on May 29 1892 in Bahjí, and his shrine is the most holy place for Bahá'ís — their Qiblih, the location that Bahá'ís should face when saying their daily obligatory prayers. It contains the remains of Bahá'u'lláh and is near the spot where he died in the Mansion of Bahjí.

Other Bahá'í holy places in Acre include the House of `Abbúd (where Bahá'u'lláh and his family resided) and the House of `Abdu'lláh Páshá (where later 'Abdu'l-Bahá resided with his family), and the Garden of Ridván where Bahá'u'lláh enjoyed spending the later part of his life.

Sports

The city's major football team Hapoel Acre currently play in Liga Leumit, the second tier of Israeli football. They did play briefly in the top division during the 1970s, but have spent the majority of their history in the lower leagues.

Transportation

Bus

Acre has a central bus station that is served by Egged buses. Services include fairly modest internal service and relatively extensive inter-city service. Due to its strategic location, Acre central bus station has bus links to major cities and towns as Haifa, Nahariya, Karmiel, Zefat, Kiryat Shmona, Sakhnin, as well as lines connecting it to nearby smaller villages.

Rail

Acre is served by the Akko Railway Station

Notes

Sister cities

• Pisa, Italy
• Bregenz, Austria
• Canton, Ohio

See also

• Crusade
• Daher El-Omar
• District of Acre
• Haim Farkhi
• Spring of the Cow

External links

• Old City of Acre - The Official Website (Old Acre Development Company - OADC )
• Acre's History (Jewish Virtual Library)
• The Acre prison break (Jewish Virtual Library)
• Acre travel home page (TripTouch.com)
• Names by which Acre has been known & pictures (Bibleplaces.com)
• Hazlitt's Classical Gazetteer
• Acre Walls (OADC)
• The Tourists Guide to Acre
• Photos of Acco

•  • [ e] North District
Cities	Afula | Acre (Akko) | Beit She'an | Karmiel | Kiryat Shmona | Ma'alot-Tarshiha | Migdal HaEmek | Nahariya | Nazareth | Nazareth Illit | Safed | Sakhnin | Shaghur | Shefa-'Amr (Shfar'am) | Tamra | Tiberias
Local councils	Abu Sinan | Arraba | Basmat Tiv'on | Beit Jann | Bir al-Maksur | Bu'eine Nujeidat | Buq'ata | Daburiyya | Deir Hanna | Eilabun | Ein Qiniyye | Ein Mahal | Fassuta | Ghajar | Hurfeish | Hatzor HaGelilit | I'billin | Iksal | Ilut | Jadeidi-Makr | Julis | Ka'abiyye-Tabbash-Hajajre | Kabul | Kafr Kanna | Kafr Manda | Kafr Yasif | Kaokab Abu al-Hija | Katzrin | Kfar Kama | Kfar Tavor | Kfar Vradim | Kineret | Kisra-Sumei | Maghar | Majdal Shams | Mas'ada | Mashhad | Mazra'a | Metula | Mevo Hama | Migdal | Nahf | Peki'in | Rame | Reineh | Ramat Yeshi | Rosh Pinna | Sajur | Sandala | Sha'ab | Shlomi | Shibli-Umm al-Janam | Tuba-Zangariyye | Tur'an | Yafa an-Naseriyye | Yanuh-Jat | Yavne'el | Yesod HaMa'ala | Yirka | Zarzir
Regional councils	Al-Batuf | Beit She'an Valley | Bustan al-Marj | Northern Jordan Valley (Emek HaYarden) | Gilboa | Golan | Jezreel Valley | Lower Galilee | Upper Galilee | Ma'ale Yosef | Matte Asher | Megiddo | Merom HaGalil | Mevo'ot HaHermon | Misgav

•  • [ e] World Heritage Sites in Israel
Acre Biblical tels of Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba (Be'er Sheva) Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev Masada White City of Tel-Aviv The territorial status of the World Heritage Site Old City and Walls of Jerusalem has yet to be determined