One of the throne villages of the late Ottoman period,[3][4] It is home to a fortified sheikh house built during the early 19th century by the Simhan family.

[1] Ras Karkar is bordered by Al-Janiya to the east, Al-Itihad to the north, Kharbatha Bani Harith to the west, and Kafr Ni'ma to the south.

[7] The village, also known as Ras Ibn Samhan, is topped with a castle on a high, rocky and sharply sloping mountain surrounded by cactus trees.

[13] Ras Karkar was ruled by Sheikh Ismail Ibn Samhan who was respected and appreciated by his clan for the many contributions and support that he provided.

Sheikh Ismail was killed by the Abu Ghosh family which controlled another throne village near Ras Karkar, and the castle was handed over to his nephew Hussein.

[14][15] In 1882 the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described Ras Kerker as "a small village in a lofty position, with a spring below it on the north.

[26] The castle is surrounded with historic buildings, overlooking to the west the mountains leading to the Mediterranean Sea and to the south, the city of Jerusalem.