Acre (Akko)

Acre (Akko) is a city on Israel’s Mediterranean Coast. It is north of Caesarea Maritima. The port city was selected as a UNESCO Heritage site due to the presence of a beautifully excavated Crusader fortress. The fortress was in use by the Templars and Hospitallers and became prominent in Middle Ages after the Third Crusade when the city of Acre served as the capital of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Ottomans built their own citadel on top of the ruins of the fortress, filling in the various halls with dirt. Since its restoration, the fortress has hosted a museum exhibit that traces the history of Acre from the bronze age through the Ottoman Empire. The Crusader era structure is the focus of this collection for which photographs were taken by Dr. Beth M. Sheppard in 2016 and 2023. There are, however, photos of some of the museum displays and a few other locations within the Old City of Acre. Because exploring how sites are curated for the public is of interest to Sheppard, there are also photos of various signs and historical markers.