• Full-day tour of the ancient city of Akko, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Explore the Knights Citadel, once the headquarters of the crusader-era monastic order of the Knights Hospitaler.
• Visit the manicured Bahji Gardens, the holiest site in the world for the Bahai faithful and tomb of the Baha’ullah, the founder this faith tradition.
• Enjoy a traditional Arabic mezze lunch in a local home.
• Tour the ornate Tunisian “Or Torah” synagogue covered in mosaics and stained-glass windows that retells the story of the Jewish people.

With a rich history stretching back over 5,000 years, the port city of Akko is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the longest continuously inhabited cities anywhere in the world. Considered a holy city by many, Akko also boasts several unique minority communities that maintain a special connection to this place.

This full-day tour will take you to some of the city’s classic tourist attractions, such as the Knight’s Hall, Templar tunnel, and Old City market, while also introducing you to the local people that make Akko such a colorful place.

We will begin this tour with a visit to the meticulously manicured Bahji Gardens located on the outskirts of the city where we will learn about the Baha’i faith and visit the tomb of the Baha’u’llah, who was the founder of this faith tradition. Imprisoned in Akko for the greater part of his life, it was in this city where he wrote the Kitab al Aqdas (Most Holy Book), and it is to this location where Baha’is all over the world face when they pray.

From here, we will continue to visit some of the aforementioned historical sites before proceeding to the nearby Shazliya Mosque. Tucked away in a corner of the Old City, the mosque grounds were recently renovated, and the tombs of the order’s past spiritual leaders are ornately decorated with Islamic motifs. Founded in Akko in the latter part of the 19th century, followers of the Shazliya are members of a mystical Sufi Muslim order that is today headquartered in Beirut.

Lastly, following a traditional Arabic meal, we will depart the Old City and head out to the city’s “Or Torah” Tunisian Synagogue. With stained glass windows and mosaics images on every surface, the synagogue is both visually stunning and awe-inspiring. The images in the synagogue retell the history of the Jewish people in Israel and abroad while also touching on many aspects of Jewish culture and tradition. We will meet with some of the congregants to learn more about “Oriental” or Sephardi Jews and North African Jewry in particular.