The Templars were a military-monastic order
who – in the name of the pope – aided pilgrims and the ailing
coming from Europe to visit the holy sites of the Land of
Israel.
They first settled in Jerusalem, on the Temple Mount, hence
their name, "the Templars", the guardians of the Temple.
Following the conquest of Jerusalem by Salah Al-Din in 1187, the
Templars made their home in Acre and began to build their
quarter in the City's southwest section.
Here, at the western edge of the tunnel is where the main
fortress of the Templar order was built. "The Templar Fortress
was the strongest one in the city and, for the most part, it
abutted the sea line. As a strong fortress, its entrance was
protected by two powerful towers with 28-foot thick walls. Two
smaller towers were built on either side of the towers and each
tower was topped by a gilded lion" (as described by a Templar
who lived in Acre during the siege of 1291)