Petra Deserti - The Stone of the Desert. His castle, much modified, dominates the town to this day.

The castle was in Crusader hands for only 46 years. It had been threatened by Saladin's armies several times, but finally surrendered in 1188, after the crushing Crusader defeat at the Battle of Hattin and a siege that lasted more than a year. Saladin's younger brother, Al-Adil, was governor of the district until becoming ruler of