Tips for would-be Knights Templar

(Reuters) - A medieval Christian military order spawning myths and whispers of clandestine power that fuel best-sellers, the Knights Templar have captivated imaginations ever since they emerged from obscurity in the 1100s.

With the publication of a reproduction of the minutes of trials against the Templars (5,900 euros a copy), the Vatican will let scholars examine some of the accusations of heresy and sexual misconduct that spurred their downfall.

Seven hundred years ago almost to the day since they were arrested, fact and fiction are hard to distinguish on the topic. But following are some tips for modern worldly travellers on the KT trail:

* VISIT:

-- JERUSALEM: The Templars took their name from the Temple Mount and their headquarters were in a building that now makes up part of the Al Aqsa Mosque. Baldwin II, the Crusader king of Jerusalem, gave them the headquarters in 1123, which led to them taking the name.

-- BERLIN: Tempelhof, the site of the Berlin airport of the same name which became famous during the 1948 airlift, started out as a commandry -- a district controlled by a member of the order, with a headquarters for members -- of the Knights Templar. A village called Tempelhof developed around it and is now part of the city of Berlin.

* SKILLS TO DEVELOP:

-- Swordsmanship. Originally founded to protect Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land, the order assumed greater military duties during the 12th century.

-- Crusading drive. Following the success of the First Crusade 1095-99, a number of Crusader states were established in the Holy Land -- but they lacked military strength to maintain more than a tenuous hold over their territories.