Knights' Halls, Acre, Israel

The Crusader structures called the Knights' Halls or the Citadel of Acre originally served as the Knights Hospitaller Compound. They extend over an area of c. 8,300 square meters. Archeological remains from the Hellenistic Period (300-63 BC), from the Early Arab Period (638-1099 CE), to a large extent from the Crusader Period (1291-1104 CE) and primarily from the 13th century, were uncovered in the compound area.

It was in the 13th century that Acre was the capital of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. The destruction of the Crusader structures during the Mamluk Period (1291-1517) left its mark on the compound.

During the Late Ottoman Period (1750-1918 CE), the citadel was built as part of the city's defensive formation on the ruins of the Crusader fortress and during the British Mandate (1918-1948), activists of Jewish Zionist resistance movements were held prisoner there and it served as the main prison in the North of Israel. The archaeological excavation of the Crusader remains and the exposure of a multi-period complex depict Acre's two golden ages – the thirteenth century and the eighteenth & nineteenth centuries.

References:

akko.org.il

User Reviews

nir einav (2 years ago)
This is a great place to visit, especially in the hot summer days of Israel as the massive walls keep the temperature cool and covienient. The halls are huge and impressive and you must go through the underground tunnel. Acre has a lot of interesting history

Allucianna (2 years ago)
Awsome museum. We walk inside the medieval citadel thanks to the archaeological excavations and discover some artefacts! The audio-guide is very complete, but sometimes it is very hard to find allt he number on the floor, walls etc. It's like a treasure hunt! I listen to every number on the audio-guide and it took me something like 2 hours to do the whole Tour! I recommend it if you are passionate about the Crusades ?

Wayne V (2 years ago)
Surprisingly intact Crusader Era castle. Was lost to the sands of time. Spectacular! This was a stop on the tour we took. I didn't pay much attention to this tour stop in the initial planning. I was shocked at how cool Akko was. Best tour stop for me. Great mix of Arab and Israeli culture. A must see.

Ludvig Vanhorn (2 years ago)
In one of the oldest cities in the world, in a huge complex of stone work, from the most interesting period in Acre's history there a experience you must not miss. Huge, awesome and inspiring, A Maze of halls, crypts and passageways. No armor on display though.. And dont go to the Great Hamam, it's very poorly kept and has nothing to be impressed by..

David Christensen (2 years ago)
This is an amazingly well-preserved and restored ancient citadel that chronicles the history of the crusaders. This is the best old-world structure I've seen. Excellent exhibits with multilingual recordings and headphones available at the entrance. I highly recommend seeing this site!

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