It reverted to its earlier name under the Roman Empire and was known as Sezer under the Byzantine Empire.
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It was lost to the Banu Munqidh in 1081 when 'Ali ibn Munqidh bought it from the bishop. The Byzantines besieged it numerous times after this but failed to recover it.
The Crusaders, on their arrival in this area, rendered the city's name in Latin as Caesarea. This name had not been used in any earlier period, and was derived from the Crusaders mistakenly identifying this city as being Caesarea Mazaca, a place renowned in Christian history as the home of Saint Basil of Caesarea.
It is no longer inhabited today, but the ruins are known as Saijar in modern Arabic.