The Crusades, the Genoese and the Latin East - DSpace at ...

comparative map presented by Eliezer Stern and Benjamin Kedar (based on Kesten, 13envenisti
and Jacoby) suggest that the quarter was between less than 2 ha. and 3.5 ha (Figure 8). 42`'
Figure 8: A map of Acre with suggestions of the location of the Genoese quarter
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When Gibelet is compared in its urban architecture to towns such as Arsuf and Banyas, it
seems that Gibelet had been through more development than other towns of similar size. For
example, the coastal towns of Jaffa, Haifa and `Atlit had no cathedrals. Also, Jaffa and Haifa had
town walls but no towers. In Gibelet, however, one finds a cathedral as well as several other
churches, a castle and a town wall with towers. 427 The most elaborate medieval description of
Gibelet is the account of Wilbrand of Oldenbourg from 1211. Wilbrand saw Gibelet still in the
process of recovery and reconstruction after its destruction by the Muslims. Nonetheless, it is
clear that he was impressed with the original fortifications and especially the castle, which was
extremely well fortified so that the Muslims had failed in their attempts to demolish it:
Hec est ciuilas parna, habens lurrim (the castle) quandam amplam et munitissimum,
unicum sue defensionis solacium, in qua Sarraceni, cum ipsaºn auellere lahorarent,
aw Benjamin Z. Kedar and Eliezer Stern, `A Vaulted East-West Street in Acre's Genoese Quarter? ', p. 105.
427 Denys Pringle, horti/ication and Settlement, table 1, p. 103.
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