Akko sitting on the northern tip of Israel’s large gulf, opposite Haifa, has a history going back thousands of years: restless, rebellious crusaders, Mamelukes, Ottomans and sultans have left their mark on its architecture. In Akko they will tell you that Marco Polo stopped off there. That Napoleon tried in vain to conquer it. The ancient Akko of the Mamelukes, Ottomans and sultans is beautiful: it has survived all conquerors, it is a city of minarets and bell-towers and of mixed communities. It is an oriental, exotic city, and is anxious - perhaps making it unique to Israel - to preserve this spirit and identity. What’s more, an extraordinary series of archaeological digs and patient restoration work have brought to light the Crusader city beneath the surface of modern-day Akko. It is as if a lost city has reappeared beneath the paved streets, beneath the floors of mosques and churches, beneath the foundations of houses built from large blocks of masonry.