 Following the Arab conquest in the 7th century , Haifa was used to refer to a site established on Tell es @-@ Samak upon what were already the ruins of Sycaminon ( <unk> ) . Haifa ( or <unk> ) is mentioned by the mid @-@ 11th @-@ century Persian chronicler <unk> <unk> , and the <unk> and 13th @-@ century Arab chroniclers , Muhammad al @-@ <unk> and <unk> al @-@ <unk> . 
