Al-Rahba was destroyed in an earthquake in 1157 . Four years later , Nur ad-Din granted the territories of al-Rahba and Homs as a fief to Shirkuh , who had a certain Yusuf ibn Mallah administer it on his behalf . According to the 14th-century Ayyubid historian , Abu ' l Fida , Shirkuh rebuilt al-Rahba . Abu ' l Fida 's assertion may have been incorrect or the fortress built by Shirkuh fell into a ruinous state at some point before the century 's end . In any case , the new fortress , which became known as " al-Rahba al-Jadida " , was relocated about five kilometers west of the Euphrates ' western bank , where the original site , " Rahbat Malik ibn Tawk " , had been situated . When Shirkuh died , his territories reverted to Nur ad-Din . However , Shirkuh 's nephew and the founder of the Ayyubid Sultanate , Saladin , conquered Nur ad-Din 's domains by 1182 and granted Homs and al-Rahba to Shirkuh 's son , Nasir ad-Din Muhammad , as a hereditary emirate
earthquake in 1157
1157 Hama earthquake
Al-Rahba