A day in the 11th, 12th, and 13th Centuries: Akko (or Acre), Israel

We are docked in Haifa, Israel, the northern large port city.

From Haifa, it is easy to get to the Sea of Galilee, the Golan Heights, Capernaum, and many other well-known sites. However, since we did that the last time we were here, today we opted for something just a bit different. Today we would travel back in time.

However, before we go there, I need to mention something that struck me on the bus trip from Haifa to Acre. As we rolled along the coast road with the Mediterranean Sea on one side and the Judean hills on the other, I noticed a nuclear power plant nestled in among the other industrial sites wee passed. It struck me that here in one of the most recently developed countries in the world (~65 years since independence), one could go from the Crusaders to Nukes in the blink of an eye. The Israelis have so much personally invested in this country it is no wonder they look like 21st Century versus 12th Century in several of the countries we have recently visited. There is a sense of “we are all in this together” that one does not get in other parts of the Middle east. Perhaps that explains so much in itself…

Pretty much anywhere you travel in Israel it is easy to go back in time; however, if you limit yourself to the bigger cities and the popular attractions, then you miss a lot as well. Before I go any further, here is an abbreviated time line of Israel’s history:

Our day began with a short bus ride up the coast about 25 kilometers (~15 miles) to the city of Akko, or Acre as it is more modernly known. Acre was, at the time of the crusades – about the 11th Century – one of the major trading ports on the Mediterranean Sea. It had actually existed for centuries before that, but really came into its own after the Arab traders built the first real city in the 6th Century BC.
As each successive conquering power settled in, they basically leveled the previous city and built a new one on top of the old one. We traveled back to the 11th Century to visit the Crusader Era, about three layers down from the current era.

Before we descended to the ruins, we were take to a viewpoint atop one of the local government buildings so we might be better able to put our upcoming walk into perspective.

From there we walked across the street and back in time about eight Centuries.

On the left our Guide, Eleanor, led us to the dark doorway ahead. The center picture shows the entrance to the underground city: the dark rectangle in the middle of the picture under the stairs. On the right, she is showing us what to expect by using a metal model of the ruins and reconstructions.

As we entered the first pathway, we immediately started down stairs and found ourselves in a large room that was part of the Knights Hospitallers (KH) headquarters. The KH were a monastic military order established to treat the sick in the Holy Land. We spent about two hours exploring almost perfectly restored rooms housing the hospital, the dungeon, the dining hall, and all of the auxiliary functions necessary to sustain a small city.

Yes, that photo on the upper left is what you think it is - a communal Roman toilet... The highlight of this part of the tour was a short walk through a tunnel that might have been hidden once and used as a possible escape route (lower left).

We then visited a recreation of the original Turkish bath. That was sort of interesting, but the Disneyesque opening film was too long and I, at first, thought the entire structure was a re-creation. It turned out that the rooms we passed through were in fact a reconstruction of the original 12th Century Turkish bath.

As we would our way along the outer walls, we made a quick stop at a mosque being restored for the Sufi branch of Islam. The marble and inlay work were beautiful. We were told that it will take about another five years to complete.

We left the underground world of the Crusaders long enough to pop out to the surface to have a view of the harbor and the old city wall. Then it was back underground to follow a tunnel constructed to connect the harbor with the far side of the old city.

Finally, above ground at last for good, we had a short stroll through the “modern” market. The air was alive with the aroma of spices, nuts, sweets, and more than a few unwashed bodies.

Back on the bus again fro the short hop back to Haifa and the obligatory five-minute picture stop atop the Baha'i Gardens and Mausoleum overlook. Since we have a bunch of pictures from that viewpoint from our first visit, we opted to stay on the bus.

So about four hours of walking and learning gave us a new and unique perspective on the Crusades and the subsequent civilization that came after them.

Our next two stops are in Crete and Corfu, Greece. Having been to both, we may opt to make those sea days. Stay tuned…