אל על | אטמוספירה

In Search of Art The alleyways of Akko are covered in street art and its folk-art scene is extremely vibrant. There are many street markets selling recycled art (old bags and shoes repurposed as flowerpots for example), and even more art galleries, mostly located between the food market and the port. Here are some of the main ones: The Knights’ Gallery: owned by Moshe Afota, this gallery is a fascinating hodgepodge of works by young artists as well as well established ones, such as Kadishman and Bergner. The hundreds of items on display are a testament to Afota’s passion for Israeli art. The Symbolic Jewels Studio: Artists Meran Shavit and Nissim Ben Adiva create jewelry out of ancient coins. Passers-by can see them work through the windowpane and come in to choose one of the pieces on show or order a bespoke one. The Art 192 Gallery: here you’ll find ceramics, clay tools, necklaces and more, made by local female artists. Almadrasa Studio: a traditional stone carving studio established by internationally acclaimed conservator-restorer Amar Salim. The studio is located inside an ancient Ottoman building, where he regularly holds stone carving workshops. Duck You: Roi Samogora fell in love with these amusing rubber ducks on a visit to Rhodes and decided to sell them in Akko. Hundreds of cute little rubber ducks line the walls of this colorful store, each one representing a different job or character - I even spotted a crusader-duck. (duckyou-online.com) akko.org.il, ozrothagalil.org.il

These past years, the Old City of Akko (Acre) has been transformed into a veritable tourist haven where the old meets the new, and history and tradition meet the cultural diversity of our times. In 2001, UNESCO recognized it as a World Heritage Site and the city hasn’t stopped developing and rejuvenating ever since. There are boundless reasons to pay this beautiful Galilean gem a visit. The Knights’ Hall is a 13 th century architectural marvel, discovered by chance, by workers busy installing sewer pipes. The excavations that began in 1992 revealed the spectacular structure hidden underground. There’s a certain magic to this place, and the holograms and video clips that pepper the corridors, seriously enhance the visitor experience, as does the interactive exhibit on Leonardo da Vinci. From there, make your way to the Templars’ Tunnel which possesses a mysterious “time-machine” energy. Next stop is the Ottoman bath house Hammam el-Basha, where inhabitants of bygone times used to come for a good scrub and catch up on the latest gossip. Nowadays, the hammam has been turned into a museum where a video presentation tells visitors about the history of the city through the eyes of its very last hammam worker. End the day with a sunset walk along the Sea Wall Promenade, and admire the mosque minarets, the port, the valleys of Western Galilee and Mount Carmel sloping into Haifa Bay. akko.org.il What to see In Search of History

15

ATMOSPHERE AUGUST 2022