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The name of the castle is tied to a legend attributed to the Phoenician king Cadmus. According to the tale, he departed from Qadmus for Greece, where he introduced the alphabet.
The castle later emerged as an important center during the Ayyubid period. In 1195, it was captured by the Crusaders. Sultan al-Zahir Baybars eventually imposed a heavy tax on it and appointed a Mamluk governor to oversee its affairs. In 1517, the castle fell under Ottoman rule and remained under their control for an extended period.
