• parsed from Wikipedia with fact checking from Kennedy in Tonghini and Montevecchi (2011:2-25)

Shaizar has a long history of occupation dating back to at least the Bronze Age when it was mentioned in the 14th century BCE Amarna letters. After Alexander the Great's conquests (336-323 BCE), the town received Greek settlers. It was conquered by Rome, along with the rest of Syria, in 64 BCE. Except for a brief Parthian interlude, it was ruled by the Roman and Byzantine Empires until it fell to the Arab armies of the Rashudin Caliphate in 638 CE. After that, it frequently passed between Muslim and Byzantine control. In 1081 CE, the Banu Munqidh family took control of Shaizar, ruling the town and territory until the July 1157 CE Shaizar Quake when the Castle was said to collapsed on and killed almost the the entire ruling family. After the 1157 CE earthquake, Nur ad-Din incorporated the remains into his territory only to see the fortress city damaged again during the 1170 CE Earthquakes. Saladin took over the remnants in 1174 CE and, although the city was rebuilt, it was sacked by the Khwarezmians in 1241 CE. In 1260 CE, the city was captured by the Mamluk sultan Baibars, after which it was rebuilt yet again.

• from Kennedy in Tonghini and Montevecchi (2011:2-25)