Church of St John the Baptist (Hospitaller, Acre)

Not to be confused with Saint John the Baptist Church, Acre.

Church of St John the Baptist
Model of Church of St John the Baptist (left No. 11)
32°55′22.0″N35°4′14.0″E / 32.922778°N 35.070556°E / 32.922778; 35.070556
Location	Acre
Denomination	Catholic (Latin)
Tradition	Christianity
History
Founded	12th century
Founder(s)	Knights Hospitaller
Dedication	John the Baptist
Architecture
Functional status	Destroyed
Demolished	1291 (Fall of Acre)
Administration
Diocese	Latin Catholic Diocese of Acre

The Church of St John the Baptist was the principal church of the Knights Hospitaller in the Crusader city of Acre. It stood within the Hospitaller commandery of Saint-Jean-d'Acre, forming part of the complex now beneath the Ottoman Citadel of Acre. ^{[1] [2]}

History

The church was founded by the Hospitallers after the capture of Acre in 1104, and served as their principal place of worship and burial within the order's vast fortified commandery. ^[3] Dedicated to John the Baptist, it stood adjacent to the Hospitaller refectory and hospital wings and was one of the largest ecclesiastical buildings in the Crusader city. ^{[2] [3]}

Archaeological excavations have revealed portions of its crypt, apsidal foundations, and marble flooring beneath the Ottoman citadel. Six parallel vaulted halls with traces of Gothic ribs survive below ground level, while fragments of columns, capitals, and tracery indicate a substantial three-aisled church. ^{[2] [4]}

The church was destroyed following the Fall of Acre in 1291. Its remains were later incorporated into Ottoman military and administrative buildings, including the present Citadel of Acre and the Serail complex. ^[5]

References

1. Goldmann, Ze'ev (1977). "Die Bauten des Johanniterordens in Akkon". In Adam Wienand (ed.). Der Johanniter-Orden – Der Malteser-Orden (in German). Cologne: Wienand Verlag. pp. 108–115. ISBN   9783879090761.
2. Pringle, Denys (1997). The Churches of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, Vol. 2: L–Z (excluding Tyre). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 10–12. ISBN   9780521460101.
3. Goldmann, Ze'ev (1967). "The Hospice of the Knights of St. John in Akko". Archaeological Discoveries in the Holy Land. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co. for the Archaeological Institute of America. pp. 199–206.
4. "The Akko Citadel Conservation Project". Old Acre Development Company. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
5. "Old City of Acre". World Heritage Sites. Retrieved 4 October 2025.