Museums & Galleries in Akko

Akko Galleries

The Artists’ Quarter 

In the heart of Old Akko the Artists’ Quarter was created, which brings together various artisans who come to Akko to create, to be inspired, and to give beauty to all visitors to the city alongside old and local artisans who continue to perform traditional crafts.

More About the Artists’ Quarter

Museums in Akko:

The Knights’ Halls – Hospitaller Fortress

The Crusader Fortress, also known as the Hospitaller Fortress, is considered to be one of the most impressive fortresses in the world. It was built in the 12th century by Knights Hospitaller, a monastic order which aided pilgrims who came from Europe to The Land of Israel. Today, visitors can visit the fortress and its knights’ halls, discovered under Akko’s streets, and learn about life in the crusader city. For dozens of years, rare archeological treasures were discovered, telling the stories of pilgrims, crusader knights, and the people of Akko. You can stroll down a Crusader street where different craftsmen once worked, observe water systems built by the Crusaders to retain water for the people of the fortress and visit the main assembly hall or prison. A 4,000-year-old story unfolds inside the halls of the citadel. The museum has films projected on the walls that tell the story of the Crusades and offer vast historical information regarding the various eras.

Address: 1 Weitzman St. Akko

Opening Hours:

Summer: Sunday to Thursday, Saturdays & Holidays from 8:30 am – 6 pm. Friday & Holiday Eves from 8:30 am – 5 pm

Winter: Sunday to Thursday, Saturdays & Holidays from 8:30 am – 5 pm. Friday & Holiday Eves from 8:30 am – 4 pm

Phone: 04-9956707

Al-Pasha Hamam (Turkish Bath)

The Governor of Akko, Jazzar Pasha, built al-Pasha Hamam at the end of the 18th century. The Turkish bath’s construction was part of the transformation of Akko during the Ottoman Period from a small fishing village into a teeming port city and trade center. During his reign, al-Jazzar strove to develop the city in many and varied ways. Among his accomplishments are the aqueduct leading water to the city, the breakwater for safe docking at the port, and major buildings such as Khan al-Umdan – Akko’s largest mosque – his luxurious palace and, of course, the Turkish bath.

Opening Hours:

Sunday to Thursday, Saturdays & Holidays from 8:30 am – 6 pm. Friday & Holiday Eves from 9 am – 5 pm

Winter: Sunday to Thursday, Saturdays & Holidays from 9 am – 5 pm. Friday & Holiday Eves from 9 am – 4 pm

Phone: 04-9956707

Underground Prisoners Museum

The Underground Prisoners Museum in Akko is commemorating the memory and work of the members of the Hebrew underground during the British Mandate, who were imprisoned in the Akko prison. The museum narrates the historical events that took place there and illustrates the lives of the underground prisoners and the Akko prison break through an audio-visual display. On the site, memorial rooms are dedicated to the nine who fell in the raid and to the nine gallows.

The museum is in the Akko fortress which was built in the Ottoman period. The fortress was used during Ottoman rule as a military base, the residence of the governor of Akko, and even a prison.

At the Underground Prisoners Museum, which is operated by the Ministry of Defense, an innovative display was set up that describes the circumstances of the underground fighters’ imprisonment, their lifestyle in prison, the story of the Akko prison break, and the story of the gallows immigrants. The tour highlights the main values of the period when the underground fighters were active —  Zionism, love of the land, heroism, and sacrifice.

Opening Hours: Sunday to Thursday from 8:30 am – 4 pm

Phone:04-9911375

Treasures in the Walls Museum

The Treasures in the Wall Museum is located in the heart of the eastern wall of ancient Akko. The historical building that was once used by the soldiers of the Ottoman Guard is divided into vaulted halls containing rare collectibles that reflect the nature of life in the Galilee from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century.

The objects shed light on the lifestyles of the inhabitants of ancient Akko and illustrate the Galilean folklore that drew its origins from the various peoples who lived and traded in the area during previous generations. The starting point for setting up the displays is the presentation of the person in the environment in which he lived and worked while referring to the similarity and uniqueness of the variety of religions and denominations that existed in the Galilee in the last 200 years (Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze, Bedouins, Circassians and Baha’is). Special emphasis was placed on the preservation of traditional handicrafts that are disappearing.

One wing of the museum simulates a market from the 19th century, a market that offers a trip to the Galilee a century ago. Various artisan shops are displayed such as a hatter on his original tools. In the second wing, dedicated to collectors and collections, there is a Damascus living room inlaid with seashells and a samovar with a dedication to Ahmed al-Jazzar, old cabinets containing collections of lanterns, weights, sacred vessels of the three religions, and more.

Opening Hours: Sunday to Thursday, Saturdays 10 am to 5 pm, and Fridays 10 am – 3 pm

Phone: 04-991104

Ramchal (RAMHAL) Synagogue

The Synagogue is named after Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto known by his acronym, Ramhal, who lived in Akko from 1743 to 1747. It served Akko’s Jewish community from the 16th century to the 18th century and today it’s the only active synagogue in the Old City. The synagogue’s uniqueness raises controversy as to its past: some claim the synagogue (located at the edge of an ally on Fakhr A-Din Street, close to Al-Muallaq Mosque) was originally built where Al-Muallaq Mosque stands today, then in 1758 the Bedouin ruler Zahir al-Umar decided to turn the synagogue into a mosque, had the synagogue removed, and gave the Jews the current location where Ramchal Synagogue is found today. Ramchal Synagogue is missing two key elements characteristic of synagogues: It has no pulpit (Bimah) leading up to the Torah Ark and no women’s section for prayer.

Opening Hours: 

Sunday to Thursday 9:30 am – 5 pm, Last Entry at 4:30 pm

Fridays 9:30 am – 4 pm, Last Entry 3:30 pm

Closed Daily from 12 pm – 1:30 pm

Phone: 04-9956707

Okashi Museum of Art

In Old Akko, in an ancient cross-vaulted structure from the Ottoman period, there is a museum that presents changing exhibitions of Israeli art alongside the permanent display of the works of the late artist Avshalom Okashi (1916-1980). This artist was one of the most important Israeli painters and left his mark on art. The artist spent most of his years in Akko where he lived, created, and established his painting workshop which after his death became the “Okashi Museum of Art. Okashi served as a painting teacher in most of the schools in Akko and he also taught in the art department of Haifa University in its early years. His first subjects are rooted in nature and the human and spiritual reality in Israel and draw from the sources he grew up with in his grandfather’s house.

His works can be seen in the section dedicated to the permanent display in the museum. In addition, in the other part of the museum, changing exhibitions are held. Over the years, exhibitions of leading Israeli artists have been presented. The museum conducts regular dialogue with artists who are among Okashi’s successors and his students and exhibits their works at every opportunity.

Phone: 04-9956707

Opening Hours: Sunday to Thursday, and Saturdays 9:30 am – 5:30 pm, Last Entry 4:30 pm, and Fridays 9:30 am – 4 pm, Last Entry 3 pm

Templar Tunnel

The Templar Tunnel is a tunnel from the time of the Crusaders (about 800 years ago). The tunnel was used by the Templar Order to transport goods from the Templar Palace to the city center without paying taxes. The tunnel was discovered in 1994 by chance and is about 150 meters long. The tunnel has two entrances/exits. One is after Khan Al Maaman and the other is close to the lighthouse. The tunnel is illuminated and along the whole way, there are audio-visual exhibits that explain the time of the Crusaders.

Phone: 04-9956707

Opening Hours: Sunday to Thursday, and Saturdays 9:30 am – 5:30 pm, Last Entry 4:30 pm, and Fridays 9:30 am – 4 pm, Last Entry 3 pm