City of Acre (Akko, Akka)

Acre, Israel From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigationJump to search "Akko" redirects here. For other uses, see Akko (disambiguation). Acre עַכּוֹ‎‎عكّا‎ City Hebrew transcription(s) • ISO 259 ʕakko Aerial view of Acre 1.jpg Official logo of Acre Municipal emblem Acre is located in Northwest IsraelAcreAcre Show map of Northwest Israel Show map of Israel Show all Coordinates: 32°55′40″N 35°04′54″ECoordinates: 32°55′40″N 35°04′54″E Grid position 156/258 PAL Country Israel District Northern Founded 3000 bc (Bronze Age settlement) 1550 bc (Canaanite settlement) 1104 (Crusader rule) 1291 (Mamluk rule) 1948 (Israeli city) Government • Mayor Shimon Lankri Area • Total 13,533 dunams (13.533 km2 or 5.225 sq mi) Population (2019)[1] • Total 49,380 • Density 3,600/km2 (9,500/sq mi) UNESCO World Heritage Site Official name Old City of Acre Criteria Cultural: ii, iii, v Reference 1042 Inscription 2001 (25th session) Area 63.3 ha Buffer zone 22.99 ha Acre (/ˈɑːkər/ or /ˈeɪkər/), known to locals as Akko (Hebrew: עַכּוֹ‎, ʻAkkō) or Akka (Arabic: عكّا‎, ʻAkkā), is a city in the coastal plain region of the Northern District of Israel. The city occupies an important location, sitting in a natural harbour at the extremity of Haifa Bay on the coast of the Mediterranean's Levantine Sea.[2] Aside from coastal trading, it was also an important waypoint on the region's coastal road and the road cutting inland along the Jezreel Valley. The first settlement during the Early Bronze Age was abandoned after a few centuries but a large town was established during the Middle Bronze Age.[3] Continuously inhabited since then, it is among the oldest continuously-inhabited settlements on Earth.[4] It has, however, been subject to conquest and destruction several times and survived as little more than a large village for centuries at a time. Acre was an important city during the Crusades, and was the site of several battles. It was the last city held by the Crusaders in the Levant before it was captured in 1291. In present-day Israel, the population was 49,380 in 2019,[1] made up of Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze, and Baháʼís.[citation needed] In particular, Acre is the holiest city of the Baháʼí Faith in Israel and receives many pilgrims of that faith every year. Thirty-two per cent of the city's population is Arab. The mayor is Shimon Lankri, re-elected in 2018 with 85% of the vote.