The Tragedy of the Templars (47 page)

Golgotha, or Calvary, within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been venerated by pilgrims as the site of the Crucifixion since the time of the Emperor Constantine and his mother Helena.

The Cenacle, or Upper Room, is an elegant Gothic hall built by the Franks in the twelfth century as part of the Church of St Mary of Zion. Pilgrims have been attracted to the site, believed to be that of the Last Supper and the Pentecost, since at least the fourth century.

Queen Melisende lies in a tomb set within this alcove off the steps leading down to the Tomb of the Virgin Mary in Jerusalem's Kidron valley.

The Horns of Hattin, a strange double-peaked volcanic outcrop west of Tiberias, shrouded in a sandstorm. On 4 July 1187 the crusader army, parched with thirst, was destroyed as it advanced towards Saladin's forces which stood in the foreground. Jerusalem fell two months later.

This secret Templar tunnel ran under the streets of Acre towards their fortress on the sea.

After the fall of Acre in 1291 the fortress of the Templars was destroyed; only the foundation platform survives under the Mediterranean shallows.

Foundation walls of the Templar fortress at Acre are favourite spots for fishing.

What was not destroyed at Acre was buried under earth and rubble which has recently been cleared to reveal the halls, courtyard and cloister of the Hospitallers' headquarters. This vast chamber is called the Refectory of the Knights, but it may have been a crypt and probably had another hall above it.

A doorway surviving from the crusader period stands along a narrow street in Acre.

This great marble Gothic arch set in the facade of the Mameluke sultan al-Nasr's madrasa in Cairo is in fact a magnificent piece of booty from the Church of St Andrew at Acre, a triumphant reminder of the conquest of Outremer.

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