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The new sound & light show at the Crusader Citadel

The port of Akko I Photo: Shutterstock

The Knights’ Halls I Photo: Shutterstock

The new sound & light show at the Crusader Citadel

After years of work and a NIS 15 million investment, Akko has come back to life after a major slowdown, due to the war. A spectacular sound & light show was launched last month at the Old City Crusader Citadel, reigniting the city’s tourism potential. The show is an incredible video mapping projection which transforms the citadel’s ancient stone walls into a 3D journey through time. As part of the show, a new gallery area with comfy seating was built in the front plaza, and more than ten kilometers of optical fibers were laid out to enable an audiovisual experience of the highest standard. About 35 minutes-long, the show is screened thanks to 22 cutting edge projectors placed in the citadel’s inner courtyard. It was especially adapted according to

the citadel architecture which is an inseparable part of the show. Thanks to advanced visual effects and crystal-clear sound enveloping the whole space, audiences are swept away on a voyage across the various historical periods, from the ancient world - the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods, to the early Muslim and Crusader periods, when Akko (aka Acre) was the capital of the Kingdom of the Knights, and through to the Ottoman period, the times of the British Mandate and the State of Israel. The images aren’t accompanied by any narration, except for a short text projected in the righthand corner, indicating the transitions between the different periods. But thanks to its visual language and powerful score, the show is a multi-sensory experience suitable for audiences of all ages and languages. It is entirely

accessible to people with disabilities, including the visually and hearing impaired, thanks to quality audio description and audio aids made in collaboration with the Library for the Blind. Rediscovering the Old City of Akko The new light & sound show offers the perfect excuse to head north and rediscover the charms of the Old City of Akko. Here are a few of its unmissable highlights: The Knights’ Halls: This incredible 25,000m 2 underground space is the beating heart of Akko’s Crusader history. The structure was discovered over the course of archeological excavations that took place in the 1950s, after having been buried underground during the Ottoman rule. A tour of the site

Photos: Nava Marton

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ATMOSPHERE AUGUST 2026