In response to the Ministry of Defense’s intension to expand the commemorative center on the ground floor of Jabotinsky Tower in the Akko citadel, a structural survey was conducted in July-September 2005. The aim of the work was to date the tower’s ground floor, including its different details and periodic openings and elements. The emphasis was placed on identifying elements from the period when the tower served as a prison from 1946-1948. The survey included the condemned prisoners’ cells, the execution chamber and the tower’s casing.
The British prison was operated on the Ottoman level that was built on top of the remains of the Hospitaller center from the Crusader period, as was the northwestern tower, referred to as Jabotinsky Tower. Remains that clearly date to the Crusader period were preserved inside the tower, such as a staircase, vault, niche and stone courses from the third floor of the Hospitaller center. The tower can be seen from all directions, and from its southern side today one can see the western wall of the commemorative center in which there are the remains of openings, windows and arches that are suggestive of the magnificent construction that once stood there.
The Phases of the Tower
The tower’s foundations date to the thirteenth century CE, to the time when the Hospitaller center was constructed. In the Ottoman period when the city was renovated by the rulers Dahar al-Omar (1750-1772 CE) and his successor Jazar Pasha (1773-1804 CE), changes were implemented at the site and it was used as a military barracks and palace where the ruler resided. In the first half of the nineteenth century extensive modifications were carried out in the complex, traces of which are noticeable in the exterior walls of the complex. During the time of the British Mandate the upper floor served as a central prison and in the northern part of the tower another story was constructed where the execution chamber was situated. Following the creation of the State of Israel the structure was used as a hospital, when numerous changes were made to the building. Despite the fact that no significant renovation work or construction has been done to the building, it is precisely these small changes that make it so difficult to locate and identify the details from the phase when the British prison was run there.
Structural Description
The northwestern tower was built on Crusader foundations and inside the casing of a Crusader structure (standing to a height of three stories). The tower did not delimit the Hospitaller center and other buildings that were part of it stood to its west. On the tower’s northern façade, which faces the moat, one can discern Crusader construction. We can reasonably assume that other courses dating to this period were preserved in the outer walls of the northwestern wing to a height of c. 13 courses.
In the part of the tower where the execution chamber is located there was no upper story prior to it being converted to a prison. In the early 1920’s there was no other structure on the roof of the tower and it terminated in a row of unfinished stones. However, during the period when the prison was in operation, reinforced concrete and iron I beams were used on the roof which can still be seen today. This apex is not clearly visible in photographs but it is possible to see that the roof culminates in a uniform and continuous fashion. It seems that the tower’s apex was added when the Ottoman wooden roof was replaced by a poured concrete roof.
The Levels in the Tower
The Subterranean Level: in the subterranean level is a cesspit and sewage channels into which the toilets drained by means of shafts that were built in the walls.
The Ground Floor Level: two rows of toilets were discovered on this floor. The ground floor is situated at the level of the moat on the outside of the structure.
The First Floor Level: based on the remains that are visible today, this is the first floor of the Ottoman palace that was built on the foundations of the Hospitaller complex. This space is covered by a dome and a fountain apparently once stood in its center. The archaeological finds indicate that the installation was connected to the water system.
The Second Floor Level: the cell where the Bahai prophet Baha'ullah and Ze’ev Jabotinsky were imprisoned is located on this floor of the palace.
The Roof Level: this level is accessed by the remains of a spiral staircase that dates to the palace phase.
Throughout the years of its existence different structures have been erected on the roof of the tower, most of which are documented in photographs. In addition, an opening was fixed in the eastern part of the tower’s roof which was originally used to provide light to the second floor. This opening still exists.
Physical Problems
The main problems are in the tower’s casing:
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The casing is not waterproof and moisture is apparent especially inside the execution chamber where the western wall is repeatedly wet.
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Environmental damage and intervention involving the use of unsuitable materials has resulted in stone weathering
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Significant changes in the appearance of the casing, including a change in the size and location of openings.
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Damage caused to the unique architectural elements in the tower’s facades.
The Survey Recommendations
The recommendations call for conservation intervention in accordance with the materials and technologies in each of the periods in the tower. The main effort in treating the tower’s casing should be focused on sealing all of the facades and especially the western façade that is most exposed to the spray from the sea and the rain. The eastern façade requires meticulous treatment in order to renovate and reconstruct its original appearance.
A detailed conservation program was prepared for the site in accordance with the conclusions of this work.
