7 Akko and Caesarea

North of Tel Aviv and along the coast lie the towns of Caserea and Akko. We explored both towns - eating in Akko and walking through the old ruins of Caesarea. Today, there's a hippodrome in Caesarea that has been restored and is the site of many concerts. Akko (or Acre) is an old fishing port, and remains the holiest city of the Bahá'í Faith. Today it is a mixed city that includes Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze, and Baha'is. The walls of the old city remain, and in it contain a building that was used by the British as a prison during the later years of the British Mandate. South of Akko, between Haifa and Tel Aviv, is Caesarea. It was built by Herod the Great about 25–13 BCE as the port city Caesarea Maritima. Over the eyars it was conquered by the Muslims, the Crusaders and finally the Jews. The old ruins are now a national park in Israel.