Acre, or Akko, is one of the oldest continuosly inhabited cities in the world. Acre dates back to the times of Pharaoh Thutmose III, who died in 1450 B.C.E. Throughout its early history, its location on the water made it an important port in the Middle East. In 332 B.C.E., it became part of Alexander the Great's empire. The city has changed hands many times over the years, sometimes changing names. In 638 C.E., the Muslims conquered it and restored its original name. When the Crusaders invaded and took, lost, and regained the city, the referred to it, mistakenly, as St. Jean d'Acre, or Acre. The Crusades originally took Acre in 1104 C.E.. Years later, Saladin reclaimed it, only to lose it to Richard the Lionheart in 1191 C.E. During the Third Crusade, Richard used the city as his base, as the Crusaders were not able to take back Jerusalem. 100 years later, the Mamluks invaded and drove all the remaining Crusaders from the city. Currently, Acre is part of the State of Israel.
