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March 1, 2002
Akko's secrets are unearthed
City's Crusader period plays important role in international history.
EDGAR ASHER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
There was a strong, unrelenting breeze as I stood on the exposed
roof of the Citadel in the heart of the Old City of Akko (Acre).
Being one of the tallest buildings in the area, it afforded incomparable
views of one of Israel's most interesting and ancient cities and
one of the old world's most important ports.
Many metres below me, archeologists were revealing Akko's rich history
and, in particular, the period of the Crusaders, which lasted almost
200 years. With me was Eliezer Stern, the Israel Antiquities Authority
archeologist in charge of the excavations in the Old City.
"From here, you can get a global view of the city's layout,"
explained Stern. "The city traces its history back to the Middle
Bronze Age, around 2500 BCE. The Greeks and the Romans also knew
the city by the name Ptolemais, after the king of Egypt, Ptolemy
II, who fortified the city in the year 261 BCE. Under Roman rule,
there was a significant Jewish population and it was an important
fishing port due to its natural harbor. In those days, there was
a saying, 'Need one bring fish to Akko?' "
The Citadel, where I was standing, had been built in the 18th century
by the Ottomans on top of the Crusader ruins below. In 1922, at
the beginning of the British Mandate in Palestine, part of the Citadel
had been transformed into a prison and many Jewish underground fighters,
including Zev Jabotinsky, were confined there. Many young men of
the pre-state Haganah underground movement were also hanged there
by the British. Today, part of the Citadel has been turned into
a museum honoring the memory of those who fought and died in the
period.
With Stern leading the way, we made our way down from the roof to
a lower level. It was here that the Jewish prisoners were allowed
to exercise. On many of the stones are carved inscriptions and simple
drawings by some of the prisoners. One drawing shows a gallows with
the outline of a hanging man. Was the artist a Jewish prisoner who
knew he was going to die or was he a prisoner who was in contact
with such condemned men? We shall never know.
Stern and I continued our way downwards until we reached what could
be considered as ground level. The scene before us more resembled
a building site than a unique archeological excavation. We stopped
as a tractor carrying a massive steel joist was slowly manoeuvring
itself along one of the narrow lanes. After it passed us, Stern
described some of the logistical problems relating to the excavation
of the Crusader city below the Citadel.
"Sixty thousand cubic metres of debris have so far been removed
to reveal part of the Crusader site. In 1291, when the Mamalukes
came and conquered the Crusader city, the buildings here were five
storeys high. The Mamalukes destroyed the city, which meant that
the top two storeys collapsed into the lower storeys.... The whole
of the Crusader city was preserved under the destruction of the
Mamalukes."
In the 18th and 19th centuries, when the city was part of the Ottoman
Empire, the remains of the Crusader period were almost completely
buried under the buildings built at that time. It was only some
50 years ago that archeologists were starting to clear debris from
earlier building periods. We could see now with our own eyes the
places described by the pilgrims some 900 years ago, almost as they
had been when they had been constructed. In recent years, the digging
has started again and more unbelievable discoveries have been found,
including a sophisticated drainage system that operated throughout
the Old City.
"The Crusaders converted Akko into the main seaport of the
Christian world in about 1100 CE, renaming it St. Jean d'Acre because
it housed the headquarters of the Order of the Knights of St. Jean
[St. John]. The city was divided into some 13 autonomous quarters,
including the Hospitallers, the Templars, the German, the English,
the French and the Italian. The Italians were further divided into
three different quarters, the Pisan, Venetian and Genoese quarters.
Every quarter represents another group that came from Europe,"
explained Stern.
More than $20 million has been spent in the excavation so far, with
the funding for the project provided by a government body known
as the Old Acre Development Co., as well as the Ministry of Tourism.
"We have been involved now for 10 years digging. So far, we
have only started serious archeological work on 1.5 per cent of
the total area of the Old City," said Stern.
"We also need to build a museum on the site which will enable
us to display all the archeological finds that have been discovered
here. Such a project will cost about $30 million and we do not have
the possibility of getting such an amount from our own government.
We are, therefore, thinking of approaching the European community
because the culture you see here came originally from Europe; from
Germany, from England, from Italy and so on," he said.
"We didn't imagine that we were going to find such a well-preserved
city under the ground when we started our excavations 10 years ago,"
said Stern with a big smile. "There were six identical rooms
that housed between 200 to 300 pilgrims. They were sick pilgrims
who came from Europe in a sea voyage lasting up to six weeks. They
arrived dehydrated and malnourished and they were hospitalized in
the hospice of the Knights of St. John, which was funded and maintained
by the popes of the period. Eventually, the complex was enlarged
and by the end of the 12th century the order was able to deal with
over 2,000 pilgrims every day."
At the end of 2001, Akko was given recognition as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. The ancient city was the first location in Israel
to be so listed and joined an illustrious roll of 721 heritage locations
around the world.
"To be included on the UNESCO heritage list, you take upon
yourself many obligations and responsibilities towards international
laws of archeology, preservation and access to the public. Being
included on the list does give the possibility of attracting overseas
funds for future excavation and research. For instance, there are
funds available from the European community for such projects,"
Stern said.
"It's a very important city. It's a port city, a cosmopolitan
city. It's important because the preservation of the Crusader period
in Akko is so amazing and so important to the heritage of international
history. From the point of view of UNESCO, the much-later Ottoman
city is also important to preserve for world heritage because it
covers more recent Muslim and Turkish history. It is within the
Old City walls that one can see today a well-preserved, unique oriental
city with mosques, hamams (Turkish baths) and inns,"
added Stern.
All of the engineering work required to support the upper part of
the city as more of the Crusader Kingdom is revealed below is very
expensive and takes a lot of time to design and construct.
"The work will take years and we also have to consider the
best way to allow the public into the site without interfering with
the work in progress, while ensuring the visitors complete safety,"
said Stern.
Scientists from the Technion in Haifa are also involved in research
to find a suitable material to reinforce the original Crusader columns
and window arches. Many small holes are being driven into the support
arches and above certain window openings, after which a mixture
of stone and resin is injected to give the column or arch more strength.
More than 100 people work daily on the excavation, preservation
and development of the site. Unfortunately, there are few visitors
due to the present security situation in Israel. However, Stern
and his fellow workers are optimistic that one day the Old City
of Akko will take on a new importance. It will be one of the "must
see" archeological sites in the country. UNESCO officially
describes the city as, "an exceptional historic town in that
it preserves the substantial remains of its medieval Crusader buildings
... [providing] an exceptional picture of the layout and structures
of the capital of the medieval Crusader Kingdom."
This subterranean city has many secrets yet to be revealed.
Edgar Asher is with Isranet News and Media Service
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