Israel Blog - Acre, Fortress of the Crusaders & Basilica of the Annunciation
Saturday October 25th, 2019
This morning we departed Tel Aviv and drove the Mediterranean coast to Acre. The Crusader City is one of the oldest permanently inhabited towns on earth, Acre is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will visit the remains of the famous Fortress, uncovered over 80 years ago and excavated to review the remains of this amazing underground complex from the first and second crusades. The Siege of Acre (also called the Fall of Acre) took place in 1291 and resulted in losing the Crusader-controlled city of Acre to the Mamluks. It is considered one of the most important battles of the period. Although the crusading movement continued for several more centuries, the capture of the city marked the end of further crusades. When Acre fell, the Crusaders lost their last major stronghold of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. We walked through Acre’s underground tunnels to the restored old market. We continue to Nazareth where Jesus spent his youth. This afternoon we visited the Basilica of the Annunciation. It was established over the site which holds to be the house of the Virgin Mary, and where angel Gabriel appeared to her and announced that she would conceive and bear the Son f God, Jesus - an event known as the Annunciation. For this reason, the site and the city of Nazareth are among the most sacred places in the Christian world. Enjoy todays gallery of images. Tomorrow we visit the Sea of Galilee for a boat ride and visit Capernaum. Enjoy todays gallery of images.