Acre then disappears in history until the Crusades, when the legendary King Richard the Lion-heart captured the city, in 1191. From that time it was called St. Jean d’Acre, after the Knights of St. John who made it their headquarters. Following the fall of Jerusalem, Acre became the capital of the Latin Kingdom, growing into one of the greatest ports in Christendom, until 1291 when the Mameluks razed it to the ground.
Acre’s restored Crusader Citadel is part of a city that once housed 50,000 inhabitants – it is among the best examples of underground architecture in the country. Its many passageways run down to the port or to the winding alleys of the Souk. It is worth taking the time to wander through Acre, visiting the Khan el-Umdan and the Al Jazzar mosque, discovering history as you go, and relaxing over fresh caught seafood or a Middle Eastern vegetarian meal – specialities of the port.
This page is part of the book The Holy Land of Jesus
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