▁by ▁then ▁the ▁independent ▁s ultan ▁of ▁the ▁A yy ub id ▁dynast y , ▁advanced ▁south ▁and ▁captured ▁both ▁As cal on ▁and ▁Dar om ▁by ▁ 1 1 8 8 . ▁His ▁first ▁order ▁was ▁the ▁fort ' s ▁demol ition , ▁but ▁he ▁later ▁decided ▁against ▁destroy ing ▁it . ▁Instead , ▁the ▁for tr ess ▁was ▁substantial ly ▁expanded ▁and ▁strength ened . ▁" D ar um ", ▁which ▁is ▁what ▁the ▁Muslim s ▁called ▁the ▁for tr ess ▁village , ▁was ▁enc ased ▁by ▁a ▁wall ▁with ▁ 1 7 ▁strong ▁to wers ▁protected ▁by ▁a ▁deep ▁mo at ▁with ▁stone - p aved ▁sides . ▁It ▁hosted ▁a ▁g arrison ▁commanded ▁by ▁the ▁em ir ▁( comm ander ) ▁Al am ▁ad - D in ▁Q ays ar ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁store ▁for ▁supplies ▁and ▁am mun ition . ▁ ▁The ▁Cr us aders ▁re capt ured ▁the ▁for tr ess ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁May ▁ 1 1 9 1 ▁after ▁a ▁short ▁sie ge ▁commanded ▁by ▁King ▁Richard ▁the ▁Lion heart . ▁Author ity ▁over ▁Dar um ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁Count ▁Henry ▁I ▁of ▁Champ agne , ▁but ▁Richard ▁later ▁had ▁the ▁for tr ess ▁demol ished ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 1 9 3 ▁prior ▁to ▁withdraw ing ▁his ▁forces ▁from ▁As cal on . ▁The ▁A yy ub ids ▁re built ▁the ▁for tr ess ▁soon ▁after ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁use ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁bridge head ▁to ▁recon quer ▁territ ories ▁lost ▁in