Khan al-Umdan
Encyclopedia
Khan al-Umdan is the largest and best preserved khan
in Israel
. Located in the Old City of Acre, it is one of the prominent projects constructed during the rule of Ahmed Jezzar Pasha
in Ottoman era
Palestine
.
. Due to its plethora of columns the khan was named Khan al-Umdan which means "Inn of the Columns" or "Caravanserai of Pillars". It incorporates forty columns made of granite
that were taken from Caesarea, Atlit and the ruins of Crusader
monuments in Acre itself.
Due to its proximity to the port, Khan al-Umdan has throughout its history been an important trading spot. Merchants arriving at Acre used the khan as a warehouse
while the second floor functioned as a hostel
. Camel caravans
once brought produce and grain from Galilean
villages to the city's markets and port.
The khan later gained importance to the Bahá'í Faith
(as the Khán-i-'Avámid) as it was the site where Baha'ullah used to receive guests, and later the site for a Bahá'í school.
In 1906 a clock tower
was added adjacent to the main entrance to the khan to commemorate the silver jubilee
of the rule of Ottoman sultan Abd al-Hamid II. It is similar to the Jaffa Clock Tower
, a building dedicated to the same purpose.
. In 2004 Khan al-Umdan was featured on a stamp of Israel
worth 1.3 sheqels
. Nowadays, the khan is a major tourist attraction open all hours of the day and also used as an open air stage during the festivals in the city, such as the theater festival of Acre during the month of October.
Caravanserai
A caravanserai, or khan, also known as caravansary, caravansera, or caravansara in English was a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey...
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Located in the Old City of Acre, it is one of the prominent projects constructed during the rule of Ahmed Jezzar Pasha
Jezzar Pasha
Ahmed al-Jazzar was the Ottoman ruler of Acre and the Galilee from 1775 until his death.-Biography:...
in Ottoman era
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
.
Ottoman period
Being one of four Khans in Acre, Khan al-Umdan was in 1784 built on the place of the Royal Customs house of the Kingdom of JerusalemKingdom of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods....
. Due to its plethora of columns the khan was named Khan al-Umdan which means "Inn of the Columns" or "Caravanserai of Pillars". It incorporates forty columns made of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
that were taken from Caesarea, Atlit and the ruins of Crusader
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
monuments in Acre itself.
Due to its proximity to the port, Khan al-Umdan has throughout its history been an important trading spot. Merchants arriving at Acre used the khan as a warehouse
Warehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
while the second floor functioned as a hostel
Hostel
Hostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available...
. Camel caravans
Camel train
A camel train is a series of camels carrying goods or passengers in a group as part of a regular or semi-regular service between two points. Although they rarely travelled faster than the walking speed of a man, camels' ability to handle harsh conditions made camel trains a vital part of...
once brought produce and grain from Galilean
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
villages to the city's markets and port.
The khan later gained importance to the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
(as the Khán-i-'Avámid) as it was the site where Baha'ullah used to receive guests, and later the site for a Bahá'í school.
In 1906 a clock tower
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
was added adjacent to the main entrance to the khan to commemorate the silver jubilee
Silver Jubilee
A Silver Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 25th anniversary. The anniversary celebrations can be of a wedding anniversary, ruling anniversary or anything that has completed a 25 year mark...
of the rule of Ottoman sultan Abd al-Hamid II. It is similar to the Jaffa Clock Tower
Jaffa Clock Tower
The Jaffa Clock Tower is one of seven clock towers built in Israel during the Ottoman period. The others are located in Safed, Acre, Nazareth, Haifa, Nablus and Jerusalem, the last being the only one that has not survived until today....
, a building dedicated to the same purpose.
Modern era
In 2001 Khan al-Umdan, together with the rest of Acre's old city, was designated as a world heritage siteWorld Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. In 2004 Khan al-Umdan was featured on a stamp of Israel
Postage stamps and postal history of Israel
The postage stamps and postal history of Israel is a survey of the postage stamps issued by the state of Israel, and its postal history, since independence was proclaimed on May 14, 1948. The first postage stamps were issued two days later on May 16, 1948...
worth 1.3 sheqels
Israeli new sheqel
The Israeli New Shekel is the currency of the State of Israel. The shekel is divided into 100 agorot...
. Nowadays, the khan is a major tourist attraction open all hours of the day and also used as an open air stage during the festivals in the city, such as the theater festival of Acre during the month of October.