Akko (Acre): an ancient gateway to the middle east.

Old city

About 23km north of Haifa almost to the northernmost tip of Haifa bay is the city of Akko (आक्को) or Acre (आक्रे). It is connected on the Israel Railways and thats the most convenient way to travel. It is possible to see all of Akko in half-a-day as the old city is quite tiny indeed. I went there early in the morning and was back to Haifa by sunset.

History:
Acre has a very old history. It was mentioned by the Egyptians (1500 BCE), Hebrews, Cannanites, and had a stormy history in pre-christian days. Alexander (Greeks) conquered this city, Persians used it as a gateway against Egyptians, while there were murky controls from Syrians, Israelis, Maccabees and the Romans over the town. Arabs captured the city in 638 CE and the Crusaders arrived in 1104 CE. This town was their chief port in Palestine until Saladin captured it. Crusaders re took the city after several battles and in 1229 placed it under the control of the Knights Hospitaller. It was the final stronghold of the Crusader state, and fell to the Mameluks in a bloody siege in 1291. The Ottomans held the city from 1517 CE after which it was in a state of decay.
The Turkish rejuvenated the city in 18th century CE and held it against attacks from Napoleon. Jewish groups captured Akko after Israeli independence and most of the town’s Arab inhabitants fled the town.

Walls:
Acre is a walled city. In 1750, Daher El-Omar, the ruler of Acre, utilized the remnants of the Crusader walls and built fortification around the port city. The walls were reinforced between 1775 and 1799 by Jezzar Pasha and survived Napoleon’s siege.

Jezzar Pasha Masjid:

Jezzar Pasha Mosque

he Mosque of Jezzar Pasha was built by Jezzar Pasha in 1781. The mosque is Caesarea Maritima: Jezzar Pasha and his successor Suleiman Pasha are both buried in a small graveyard adjacent to the mosque. The mosque is an excellent example of Ottoman architecture, which incorporated both Byzantine and Persian styles. Some of its fine features include the green dome and minaret, a green-domed sabil next to its steps, and a large courtyard. Tourists are required to pay an entrance fees and it is NOT worth spending money to go inside, because there isn’t much to see. Muslim believers can go inside and pray.

Citadel:

The Citadel

The current building which consists the citadel of Acre is an Ottoman fortification, built on the foundation of the Hospitallerian citadel. The citadel was part of the city’s defensive formation, reinforcing the northern wall. During the 20th century the citadel was used mainly as a prison and as the site for a gallows.

Knights Halls:


Under the citadel and prison of Acre, archeological excavations revealed a complex of halls, which was built and used by the Hospitallers Knights. This complex was a part of the Hospitallers’ citadel, which was combined in the northern wall of Acre.

During the second half of the 12th century the members of the Templar Order began building their quarter in the south-western part of Acre. A writer who lived in the city at the end of the 13th century describes their fortress as follows:

The Templar Fortress was the strongest one in the city and, in the main, abutted the sea line. Its entrance was protected by two strong towers with walls 28 feet thick. On either side of the towers two smaller towers were built and each tower was topped by a gilded lion.

Templar Tunnels:
The tunnels were discovered in 1994 and opened to the public in 1999. Even now, excavations and restoration work is being carried out as some parts of the tunnel are buried under the sea.

Walking through the tunnels brought a rush of mixed feelings. I felt like I was transported back in history and spearmen and archers would walk past me. The tunnels have a peculiar smell that weans the enthusiasm out of you, but, at the same time, i was quite excited to walk on this path.

A single ticket purchased at the Citadel will give access to various excavation sites around the town. Audio self-guided tapes are included in the price and are definitely recommended. Lots of the places were closed as restoration work was in progress. The modest visitor center runs a nice film about the history of Akko.

I was sitting in the theatre watching the film with my buddy. Since there were barely 10 people in the hall and we (youngsters) were tired (hahaha), so we put our feet on the seats. A guard promptly arrived and gave us a brief lecture about good manners. At the end of it my Israeli friend remarked – ‘Wow, an Israeli guy talking about politeness.’ That was funny (and embarrassing)!

More:

The Turkish markets (shuk शुक्) inside narrow alleys of the old city were pretty busy. This part of Akko reminded me a lot about the old city of Jerusalem. But the people here looked quite different as they were mostly Israeli Arabs. Lunch was at a traditional Turkish restaurant outside the mosque and surprisingly they had several pita bread, rice, vegetables and lentil (दाल). It became a habit to gulp down 2-3 cups of mint tea while relaxing under the cool breeze.

It is prohibited to walk on the wall’s periphery but it is still possible to sneak in. The walls are thin and very tall but balancing a walk on them is bound to send a chill down your spine.

Mediterranean Sea

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Main street of the ancient city of Beit She’an

Beit She’an (बेट श्यान, खरंच एखाद्या बेटासारखं ‘शानदार’ शहर आहे) is a city between Jerusalem and Tiberius, very close to Jordan. Historically, this location has been important due to its proximity to the Jordan river and the Jezreel valley. It acted as a gateway to the interior and the strategic location made it vulnerable to attacks.

History:
Beit Shean was first controlled by Pharaoh Tutmose III around 15th century BCE and it was a prominent Egyptian administrative center. Later, it was captured by the Canaanites who defended the place from attacks by Israelites. It was controlled by the Philistines around 11th century BCE. There was a tragic battle between Israelites and Philistines and the bodies of Israelite king Saul and his son were hung on the streets of Beit Shean. Later this city was held by king Solomon. Around 9th century BCE the city was ruled by Pharoah Shishaq.

Tired? There’s more…

During Hellenistic period (4th century BCE – 1st century BCE) this city was ruled by the Greeks and called Scythopolis. Around 64 BCE the Romans took over and they undertook massive planned urban constructions. This was the most prosperous phase of the city and it became a prominent commercial and cultural centre. The Byzantines administered between near 4th century CE and 7th century CE. The city was predominantly Christian, but excavations of Jewish and Samaritan Synagogues might explain the presence of minorities. The Roman pagan temples were destroyed and replaced by new places of worship. In 634 CE, the city was captured by the Muslims, and renamed as Beisan. The Muslims preserved the city and people of various religions lived here until 8th century CE.

The city was razed during the earthquake of 749 CE.

Crusaders arrived in 11th century, later replaced by Mamluks and Ottomans. However, the significance of the city as a commercial center was totally lost.

Getting there:
Beit She’an is connected by few buses that ply between Jerusalem and Tiberias. However it is easily accessible by the Connex bus network from Tiberias.

Beit She’an National Park:
The National park looks quite overwhelming at first look. At the entrance is a gigantic Roman Theater.



The Roman theatre had a seating capacity of 7000-8000 people and a number of performances were conducted here. There are separate sections for common citizens and the VIP’s. I stood on the sage and looked at the galleries surrounding me. It must have been really beautiful during the time it was being used.

There are two bathhouses which served as recreational centres for the civilians and the elite. The bath houses have an elegant design and floors covered with mosaic tiles.

Next to the bath house, the Byzantines built a semi-circular market plaza. One of the rooms holds a grand mosaic of Tyche, the Roman goddess of good fortune. Her crown is a walled city (Scythopolis) and in her hand she holds the horn of plenty, full to the brim with riches.

The main city street is covered by basalt rock. It has a systematic drainage system and sidewalks on both sides. The street leads us to the bottom of a hill (called Tel तेल which served as the administration base (तळ) of the city.

A temple of Dionysos, the patron God of the city was located at the corner of the street. Stairs from here led to the peak of the hill that had a temple of Zeuss.

The view of the entire ancient city looks fantastic from the summit.

The whole place is still being dug and restored, I am sure the guys find something exciting every day.

I stood at the top of the hill. You can see Jordan to the east side and this grand city to the west. I closed my eyes and went back thousands of years into history trying to imagine how lovely it must have been here then.

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[tag]Jantar Mantar[/tag], located near [tag]Connaught place[/tag], the heart of [tag]Delhi[/tag]‘s commercial area, is infact an ancient [tag]astronomy observatory[/tag]. Built during the period AD 1724-1730 by [tag]Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh[/tag] II of Jaipur, the various structures in the complex are instruments that were used to keep track to celestial bodies. The structures are not functional anymore, but nevertheless they are an integral part of India’s scientific heritage. The Rajput ruler also built similar observatories at Jaipur, Varanasi, Ujjain and Mathura.

Photo clicked during my visit to Delhi, (May 2005).

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