Studying conservation in old Akko

One of the benefits to students here in Akko, is the many opportunities to learn something completely different – something they would never normally have access to at home.

Stonemasonry, as it is used in the restoration of an ancient city like Akko, is one such thing. Saleem Amer has his own studio or Madrassa in the old city where our students and many others including local youth come to learn and to have a go. Saleem uses nothing but old fashioned tools and materials, shunning modern mechanised equipment and detesting concrete. He is one of a dying breed: a true craftsman with a passion for his craft.

The tel Akko students were roped in to cutting stones and filling in plaster to the actual walls of the city, and had their eyes opened to the many challenges.

This city has seen armies come and go and housed families and businesses within its walls continuously throughout the ages, but sadly, the walls of Akko are now under attack from the elements, pollution, human habitation and the ravages of age. The aim of the conservation project is to restore as much as possible in order to preserve this beautiful work of art for future generations.