The original site , which was known as " Rahbat Malik ibn Tawk " after its Abbasid namesake and founder , was located along the Euphrates . It was viewed by Muslim armies , caravans and travelers as the key to Syria from Iraq and sometimes vice versa . Bedouin tribes often took control of it and used it as a launching point for invasions of northern Syria . Because of its strategic location , al-Rahba was frequently fought over by Muslim powers , including local lords , the Hamdanids , the Uqaylids , the Mirdasids and the Seljuks , among others . Rahbat Malik ibn Tawk was destroyed in an earthquake in 1157
earthquake in 1157
1157 Hama earthquake
Al-Rahba