G raffiti of several vessels, dated to the second half of the thirteenth century, were found on a wall in the Southern Street of the hospitaller compound at akko (acre) in the north of israel. 1 the most complete and clearest depictions are presented here. the graffiti represent small warships equipped with one mast and a lateen-rigged sail, about 56ft (17m) long. they may have been of the galliot type.hiStorical backGround and archaeoloGical context on 15 July 1099, following a five-week siege, the crusaders captured Jerusalem and created the holy kingdom of Jerusalem. five years later, in 1104, they besieged akko by land and sea, and the town fell to the crusaders.in akko, a special pattern of settlement developed, with well-defined autonomous quarters: the king's Quarter in the north, and the quarters of the italian merchant cities, Genoa, pisa and Venice, near the harbour. these were supplemented by the quarters of the military orders: the hospitallers in the north, west of the king's palace, the templars in the southwest, and the teutonic knights near the eastern walls. other important quarters were the patriarchal Quarter, the french merchants' Quarter and the english Quarter. 2 the hoSpitallerS in akko the hospitaller order owned property in akko as early as 1110, but their emerging quarter in the north of the city was first mentioned by theoderic, a pilgrim of the second half of the twelfth century, who described the hospitaller compound as an impressive building. 3 following the battle of hattin, akko fell to the muslim rulers. its christian population fled, only to return four years later in 1191, when the city was recaptured by richard the lionheart, king of england, leading the third crusade. the hospitallers returned to their former property after the new rulers gained control. Guy de lusignan in 1192 and henry of champagne in 1193 not only reaffirmed their possessions, but granted them permission to enlarge their compound northward and up to the city wall. 4 the order, which had lost its headquarters in Jerusalem, raised considerable funds from its resources in europe to transfer the Grand master and all his retinue to akko from his temporary seat at marqab (in present-day lebanon). this transfer involved renewed construction in the city, mostly during the thirteenth century. the new buildings abutted the northern wall of the city, and the order thus controlled the main gates on the north side, leading many of the pilgrims and merchants who entered akko from the north to pass through the hospitaller's Quarter en route to their destinations. 5
