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The Fortress at Acre and the Knights Templar
The city of Acre is a natural harbor situated on the coast of Israel between the Mediterranean Sea and west of the Sea of Galilee. Acre's location made it a significant port of entrance to the Holy Land for Pilgrims and Crusaders sailing from the West. The city of Acre is one of the oldest in the world. It has been conquered time and time again over its long history.
Image from: https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/weird-news/site-knights-templars-lost-gold-20642030
The Fortress
The Fortress
The fortress was built in a Romanesque and European gothic style. It was built to be large and intimidating to represent the power and influence of the Templars.
Still remaining is a 350 Meter long secret tunnel runs from the ruins of the Templar Citadel to the port in the south east corner of the fortress. The tunnel provided a quick escape route and an extra secure passage for Templar treasure. The tunnel was discovered in 1994. It was drained and opened to the public. https://www.beinharimtours.com/the-templars-tunnel/
As a result of the constant turmoil in the city, very little of the original fortress remains today. The visible castle today was built by the Turks in the 18th century.
You can learn about the site today at this link.
Image from: National Geographic via https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/weird-news/site-knights-templars-lost-gold-20642030
Significance
Significance
The port of Acre was a significant Persian military strong hold. Acre (aka Akko) had been occupied by outsiders as far back as the time of Alexander The Great in 350 BC and during the Roman Empire when Nero settled 4 legions of his army there. From 1104 to 1291 European Crusaders includeing the Knights Templar controlled the area off and on. Until In 1291 the Mamaluk Muslim Turks slaughtered the Christians and Jews that occupied it from the times of the medieval Crusades.
Time Line
Time Line
3000 BC Ancient Acre or Akko founded during the Bronze Age
1800 BC Ancient Acre is mentioned in Egyptian Texts
701 BC Conquered by Assyrian king Sennacherib
In 332 BC Acre became a part of the lands conquered by Alexander the Great
From it's initial capture by Crusaders in 1104 Acre served as a military foothold in the region
1187 Crusaders surrender the area to Saladin
1191 Acre recaptured by the Crusaders
1799 Napoleon attacked Acre but was driven away by Jewish forces assisted by the British fleet
1918 British forces occupied Acre during WWI
1936 Jews were forced to abandon the city after Arab riots
1948 a Jewish militia named, Haganah retook the city after which the city stabilized and became a modern industrial center
Today Acre is a very multicultural city with many faiths represented. The city is also a major center of trade for the region. Acre is also a major tourist attraction.
Resources
https://www.beinharimtours.com/acco-acre-the-idf-museum-of-the-underground-prisoners/
https://www.beinharimtours.com/the-templars-tunnel/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2qBkdPmOL4&t=259s
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/history-and-overview-of-acre
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acre,_Israel#Crusader_and_Ayyubid_period
https://www.islamichistoryandtravel.com/citadel-of-acre/
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