Acre

"UNESCO World Heritage The ancient city of Acre (atso known as Akko) is located on the Mediterranean Sea, 14 miles (23 km) north of Haifa. It was originally a Phoenician port established in the third century BCE, and it was regarded in the biblical period as one of the most important coastal cities in the eastern Mediterranean. It became an important trading and military port during the Roman occupation (64-63 B.CE.) and Emperor Claudius awarded the city the title of Colonia, the first in the country. Acre continued to be an important center during the early Christian and Byzantine periods until 636 C.E. when it was ruled by the Muslim caliphs. In 1104, Acre fell to the armies of the First Crusade and became the main port of the Latin kingdom of Baldwin I of Jerusalem. Acre was an important Crusader city in the twelfth century before being taken by Saladin in 1187. It was recaptured during the Third Crusade by Richard I "Lionheart" of England and Philip II of France in 1191, becoming the capital of the Latin kingdom. The Crusaders lost control of the city to the Mamluks in 1291 and the city slowly fell into disrepair. Acre was partially rebuilt in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. There are numerous Crusader buildings to visit in Acre, including the Hospitaller Castle, an underground town, the Crypt of St. John, the old harbor, and fortified city walls. Later remains include a newly restored Ottoman bathhouse, mosques, caravanserais, and the largest prison during the British Mandate. Acre was one of the main maritime centers in the eastern Mediterranean and the largest city of the Crusader kingdom. The imposing and well-preserved Crusader city make it one of the most interesting historic sites in Israel"