 Another hypothesis suggests that the town was originally called Majdal al-Sham (Majdal of Damascus) to distinguish it from the towns of al-Majdal on the Mediterranean coast and al-Majdal on the Sea of Galilee.According to one version, Majdal Shams was established in 1595 by Druze warlord Fakhr-al-Din II, in order to strengthen Druze presence in the Hermon mount.Another version says that the Druze families began to settle on the southern slopes of Mount Hermon in the early 18th century.