Akko or Acre is a city rich in history situated in the northern coastal plain at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay with a population of nearly 50,000. The city occupies an important location situated on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, traditionally linking the sea and commercial activity with the Levant. The major land routes that merge at Akko are the north-south highways. One follows the coast and the road going inland through the Plain of Esdraelon. Akko benefits from one of the few natural harbours on the coast of the Land of Israel. This location has helped it become one of the oldest cities in the world which has continuously been inhabited since the Middle Bronze Age some 4000 years ago.
Acre is the holiest city of the Bahá’í faith with many Baha’i pilgrims visiting the city. Acre is a mixed city, that includes Jews, Muslims, Christians and Baha’is.
According to Biblical tradition, the name Akko comes from the Canaanite Adco, meaning a border and referring to North-most border of the Israelite tribes. The city was known as Ptolemais during the Hellenistic and Roman-Byzantine periods. During the Crusades it was known as St. Jean d’Acre after the Knights Hospitaller, who had their headquarters there.