An ancient port on crossroads between Syria, Egypt, Aram and the other Mediterranean ports. It is mentioned in ancient Egyptian documents. Its strategic and commercial importance made it a sought-after target for the powers of the area.
It began as a Canaanite fortified settlement, the remains of which were discovered at Tel Acco, east of the present-day city. During the Israelite conquest it was part of the Asher tribal allotment, but the Israelites never captured it and Acco remained a gentile city. In 701 BCE it was conquered by Sennacherib, king of Asyria, and again in 333 BCE by Alexander the Great, when it became a Hellenistic city called Ptolemais. The Hasmoneans failed to conquer this hostile city. In the Roman period it became an important naval base and a major settlement in Galilee – Colonia Ptolemais. During that time Jews settled here, though many were killed in the Great Revolt against Rome. After the revolt Jews came again to live in Acco.
In the Talmudic period there was a large Jewish community in Acco, and many of the great Talmudic sages either resided or spent time here. In the Byzantine era a large Samaritan community developed here and the city was called Samaritiki. In 614 CE Acco was conquered by the Persians, who ruled it for two decades. After the Arab conquest its original name was restored. In 1104 it was conquered by the Crusaders who fortified it and turned it into a naval base. After the loss of Jerusalem,
Acre served as the last Crusader capital. However, contrary to their usual custom, the Crusaders allowed Jews to reside here. Maimonides visited in 1165. In 1291 it was conquered and destroyed by the Egyptian sultan al-Malik al-Ashraf. City was rebuilt only in the mid-14th century when Jews returned to settle there.
Due to Bedouin wars the city was impoverished and in decline until the 18th century, when the Bedouin ruler Dahir al-Amr made the city his capital, fortified it and built hostels and mosques. Upon his invitation, Jews came from Safed and abroad to take up residence. In the Ottoman period Acre was the seat of government for Syria and Palestine. From 1775 to 1804 the city was ruled by Pasha Ahmad al-Jazzar, who built the mosque which bears his name, rebuilt the city walls, which remain to this day, and built the aqueduct from the Kabri springs. In 1799, with the help of a British fleet, he repelled Napoleon's attack on Acre.
In 1831 city was conquered by Ibrahim Pasha, son of Mohammad Ali, ruler of Egypt, who ruled it until his expulsion by a combined European fleet in 1840. Captured in 1918 by the British, it became the administrative center for the northern part of the country. During the Arab Riots of 1936-1939 the remaining Jews fled. In War of Independence (May 1948) the city was captured by the Haganah and most of its Arab residents left. After the establishment of the State of Israel it became an immigrant city which eventually spread beyond the old city walls.
