Proceed from the entrance halls to the courtyard to see some of the fortifications I built by Daher al-Omar. Turn left and enter the Hospitaller’s fort through the impos- 3 ing Turkish gate, directly beneath which stands the original Crusader gate. Turning j right from here will bring you to the center of the original Crusader complex. These I halls are now used for concerts during July by the Haifa Symphony Orchestra, asj well as the acclaimed annual Israel Fringe Theater Festival. The week-long extrav-l aganza occurs during the Jewish festival of Sukkot (usually in mid-Oct.), and attracts ] small theater groups from all over Israel. Only a few of the performances are in English (check with the tourist office). The Vocalisa Festival, also called “Voice! from die Wall,” brings singing groups to these halls from around the world for Pass-] over (usually in April).

The passageway from this part of the Crusader City to the Refectory or Crypt of j St. John lias been closed since 1990 for fear that the roof will collapse. To reach the j crypt, leave the Crusader City the way you came in, turn right, and follow the signs I to the crypt entrance; look for the spooky black-and-white sign on a metal door- The most magnificent and famous of the buried rooms, it once housed Crusader feasts, Next to the third column in the crypt is a staircase connected to a long underground passageway that leads to sis adjacent rooms opening onto a central court-, yard. The passageway may have been dug by the Crusaders as a hiding place in case of attack, or possibly as an elaborate sewage system. It was later restored by Al-Jazzar to serve as a means of escape if Napoleon gained entrance to the city walls. The j rooms also served as a hospital for wounded knights, and the Turks used it as a post office.

The adjacent Municipal Museum (really just a Turkish bath, operating until 1947) is accessible either through the metal door opposite the crypt entrance orj through the metal door opposite the main entrance around the corner. Random rel-! ics are strewn throughout the baths. (Crusader City open Sun.-Thurs. 8;30am-7pm, Fri. 8:30am-2:30pm, Sat. 9am-6pm; winter, Sun.-Thurs. 8:30anv5pm, Fri. 8:30am-’ 2pm, Sat. 9am-5pm. Admission NIS7, students NIS6. Pamphlet about the city NISI, Inquire about showings of the film 5000 Years: The History of Akko.)