Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine May 2021 | Page 44

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Photo Credit : Itamar Grinberg for the Israeli Ministry of Tourism

The City of Acre

Israel

Acre , Akko in Hebrew , or Akkā in Arabic is a coastal city in the Northwestern Israel located north of Haifa Bay ( formerly , Bay of Acre ). Acre runs along the Mediterranean Sea and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site , claiming this title in 2001 for its valuable history and ancient sites . Additionally , Akka proudly claims the title of being one of the oldest ports globally . It is interesting to note that in

1271 , the famous trader and adventurer , Marco Polo , began his historical voyage from Acre to the Orient .
The foundation of this 4000- year old city was shaped mainly by the Crusaders and the Ottomans . This heritage site is home to one of the oldest communities in the world . It has been found that the first-ever habitants dated to approximately 3000 BC ., and the initial mention of this city takes us to an Egyptian text dating back 19 th Century BC .
Although it is officially called The Old City of Acre , it has undergone a major revamp since it was declared a heritage site . Some of that took place at The Knights ’ Hospitallers . This was a military order providing care for the poor , sick , and also looked after the personal care of the pilgrims in the Holy Land . These Hospitallers ran