Tell Keisan 🇮🇱

Located in Israel’s Galilee region between Haifa and Akko—just 7.5 kilometers southeast of modern Acre—Tell Keisan (also known as Tel Kisson or 'the mound of treachery') is a fascinating 15-acre archaeological mound rising 25 meters above the surrounding plain. Positioned near a branch of the ancient Via Maris trade route, this historic site once served as a vital granary for Akko in an area celebrated for olive oil production. When you explore the site’s storied past, you discover a rich multi-layered timeline spanning thousands of years.

Early inhabitants fortified the thriving settlement with a stone wall and glacis during the Bronze Age. Later, it flourished as a Phoenician enclave where archaeologists discovered an ancient 11th-century BC silver hoard, Cypriot transport amphorae, and terracotta protomes. The mound also hosted a Persian military outpost linked to King Cambyses II's Egyptian campaign, a Roman paved road, a 6th-century Byzantine church, and even served as a military base for Saladin during the Crusades.

Today, Tell Keisan sits quietly on a privately owned farm, featuring a cultivated olive grove alongside scattered stone heaps and pottery fragments that tell the story of ancient empires.

What to see at Tell Keisan

• 15-acre archaeological mound standing 25 meters high near an ancient Via Maris trade branch
• Ancient Phoenician enclave where a rare 11th-century BC sealed silver hacksilber hoard was discovered
• Site of a Persian military outpost associated with King Cambyses II's 525 BC invasion of Egypt
• Historic 12th-century military headquarters used by Saladin during the siege of Acre
• Archaeological remains of a 6th-century Byzantine church and an ancient Roman paved road

Visiting tips

Because Tell Keisan is located on a privately owned farm, be respectful of the working agricultural land and cultivated olive groves while visiting.

How long: 1-2 hours · Best time: Daytime

How to get there & what’s nearby

Tell Keisan is easy to reach on Acre’s public transport, and pairs naturally with Jezzar Pasha Mosque and Ghetto Fighters' House. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Acre travel guide.