Ar-Rihan (pronounced /Al ri-han) is the village's name in Arabic and refers to its namesake, Mount Rihan.

[citation needed] In the 1596 tax records, it was named as a village, 'Wad Rihan, in the Ottoman nahiya (subdistrict) of Sagif under the liwa' (district) of Safad, with a population of 47 households, all Muslim.

The villagers taxes on agricultural products, such as goats and beehives, in addition to "occasional revenues" and a fixed sum; a total of 4,250 akçe.

Its inhabitants are also spread all over the world where most have migrated to various countries in the Middle East, Africa, North and South America, Canada and Europe.

Birds of prey such as buzzards are frequently found roaming the skies looking for wood mice, snakes or moles.

Passerine birds like goldfinch (حسون), swallows (سنونو), house sparrows (دوري), hoopoes (هدهد) and many more flourish in the village’s trees and gardens.

It was only in 1951 that the local villagers were able to fully visit the cave, discovering its naturally carved statues, multiple rooms, passages and, of course, its beauty.