The Hospitaller Fortress &
the Enchanted Garden

The Hospitaller Fortress

The Fortress is built in the form of four wings surrounding an open courtyard.

The north wing was built along the northern wall of the city, making the Fortress an integral part of the defense of the Walls of Acre and the main gate to the north. This wing is made up of nine long and narrow halls: halls 1 – 6 served as storerooms, halls 7 and 8 as a large reservoir into which the rainwater from the roofs of the Fortress drained, and hall 9 served as a passageway to the central courtyard from the north.

A spacious hall was built in the eastern wing, measuring 35 X 40 meters. The hall has a cruciform vaulted ceiling borne by square columns, apertures facing the north and wide windows facing the west and the south. It served as a conference and ceremonial hall for the knights of the order.

In the south wing an elegant hall with a cruciform vaulted ceiling was discovered, supported by three round columns with a particularly large diameter. The hall is elegant, with decorations at the bases of the columns that support the ceiling. Two openings face the central courtyard: a door that opens to the east and wide windows facing the south. This hall apparently served as the order’s dining room. Next to it there is another hall, also in the south wing. This hall has not yet been uncovered but it is reasonable to assume that it served as the kitchen.

The north wing is a two-story wing and was used as a dormitory for the warriors.

In the northern part of this hall public toilets were discovered, also built in two levels, each of which contained some 30 toilet stalls. The stalls were drained by means of drainpipes installed in the walls and leading to an underground collection room, which drained, into a central municipal sewage conduit 

The western dormitory wing and the southern dining room wing were built in elegant gothic style, unlike the remaining wings and appear to have been built at a later date. 

The Southern Road

South of the Hospitaller Fortress a municipal road that passed through the Hospitaller Quarter was uncovered. The road runs southward from the northern city wall (which is called St. John’s Gate)  along the eastern wall of the quarter, and then continues westward, passing between the fortress and the Church of St. John. At a distance of some 50 meters the road turns southward in the direction of the Genoese Quarter. A monumental stone gate was erected in this part of the road and enable the Hospitallers to close off the road during emergencies.

An additional public road adjoins with the Southern Road and runs eastward, towered the King’s Quarter. This street, which is some 10 meters wide, is paved with stone tablets. A row of shops were uncovered along part of the road.

The Enchanted Garden

During the Crusader Period the Enchanted Garden was situated in the northern part of the city, adjacent to the wall. To the east of the garden stood the Crusader King’s palace in Acre, and to the west, the military fortress of the Hospitallers – the Order of St. John.

During the Ottoman Period the ruler’s palace was built on the remains of the Hospitaller fortress, and the garden became part of the gardens of the Pasha’s private palace.

In 1799 a battle was fought in the garden between Napoleon’s soldiers and the defenders of the city. The soldiers of Napoleon’s army, who invaded the city, were repelled and ultimately failed to conquer it. 

The garden is part of the Visitors and Reservations Center and serves as the new approach to the fortress for the city of Acre and the entire Galilee region.

Opening hours winter:

Sunday through Thursday, Fridays and holiday eves and Saturday from 08:30 to 16:30

Opening hours summer:

Sunday through Thursday, and holiday eves and Saturday from 08:30 to 17:30

Old Acre
Development Company