Sabra

Sabra was a city which was the seat of a king, with palaces and dwellings. Al-Idrisi mentions that it became a ruin with no inhabitant. ²

Al-Muqaddasi mentions that he saw it populated. He says the Fatimid built it when he first ruled the province, and that its name derives from the patience (sabr) of his army in war. He describes it as round like a cup, with the sultan's house in its middle and water flowing through its midst. The width of its wall was twelve cubits, and among its gates are the Gate of Conquests, the Gate of Zuwayla and the Gate of the Wadi of al-Qassarin. ³

The two accounts describe the city at two different times, and the history needs an additional source.