History 101

Yesterday, we went to Akko, which is a historic city near Haifa. This is a city right on the Mediterranean with a rich history. It was a leading Phoenician port 3,500 years ago and then it was part of King David’s kingdom. Alexander the Great conquered it in 332 BC and later visited by Julius Caesar. Still later, the Crusaders captured Akko and built an underground city, which we visited.

After the Crusader period, the Ottomans ruled for hundreds of years, which is why there is an Arab presence to this day. In 1947, Akko was the scene of the largest prison break in history when 251 Jewish prisoners escaped from the prison fortress with the help of Jewish underground prisoners (who were imprisoned because they were fighting the British in order to create the state of Israel).

Now that our history lesson is complete, please enjoy these photos of the underground Crusader city and the prison.