The grandest of old Akko's four large khans (caravanserais) is the 18th-century Khan Al Umdan, easily recognisable thanks to its square Ottoman clock tower, next to the marina. The pillars that give the khan its name were appropriated from Caesarea. These courtyards – surrounded by colonnaded storerooms and, upstairs, sleeping quarters – once served camel caravans bringing grain.
Plans to update this ruined complex have been in limbo for years; when we passed through, it was only possible to peer through the grate. There are other khans in town that allow a closer look.
