Shortly after the Akko riots (May 2021), I felt a strong urge to re-formulate Aqua Akko, to reflect the complexity of one of my favourite cities, and express my hopes and dreams for its betterment and well-being. Therefore, I have decided to change the concept from a light Aqua Mirabillis concentration and aesthetics into a fully-fledge, conceptual perfume that would reflect both its history, present complexities and a brighter future.
The new Aqua Akko is a scent-scape of one of the oldest cities in the world (founded around 5,000 BC), and its vibrant and diverse history and geography. Akko is a tiny peninsula (“half-island”), with many impressive excavations that are accessible both above and under ground, revealing medieval forts (much earlier periods), Turkish Hammams, and many historic buildings that always reveal more treasures. a historic Phoenician port adjacent to the Na’aman river, which is where the manufacturing of glass was invented – certainly a technology that had a significant impact on civilization, enabling to store and transport delicate liquid and ephemeral substances, including medicine and perfume.
As one enters Akko’s ancient and still-very-much-active souk, a mishmash of (not-necessarily agreeable) fragrances permeate the air: The scent of fragrant herbs such as spearmint and dill is quickly overpowered by the briny, metallic odour of freshly caught fish and crustaceans laid to rest on piles of ice, rapidly overshadowed by the thick smoke of olibanum, myrrh and apple-y shisha tobacco that permanently overcast the city’s ancient cobblestoned alleys, polished by many feet and fingers of thousands of years of pedestrians of all ages. Add to that the usual Souk aromas of various spices, Baharat, roasted coffee, baklava, sahleb, rosewater-scented malabi and steam from nana-tea, sweat of passersby, stale urine in hidden corners, horse shit from the passing tourist coaches, and the feeling that we’re a continuous lively human thread from the time of ancient trade of sugar, glass, incense and spice. What makes Akko’s souk unique is certainly the sea breeze and fish on offer, an odd combination which I was determined to compose together in a a way that would be simultaneously intriguing and as harmonious as possible. The result is certainly intriguing and very difficult to categorize!
Top notes: Lemon, Bitter Orange, Grapefruit, Spearmint
Heart notes: Turkish Roses, Neroli, Petitgrain, Jasmine, Saffron, Baharat Spice Accord
Base notes: Frankincense, Myrrh, Ambergris, Fenugreek Absolute, Seaweed, Ambergris
Fragrance Families: Marine-Oceanic, Opulent-Spicy