It is no secret that Mount Qasioun, transliterated from Jabal Qasioun, is a top tourist spot of Damascus, Syria. The term Qasioun might mean “hard and dry” in Syrian language, which is the characteristic of the bare rocky mountain that has no grass, greenery or water. It is a 1,151 meters high mountain overlooking the city of Damascus from the north, from which the whole city can be seen but you don’t even need to climb up too high to take in the view. The mountain is a popular spot with locals and can sometimes get busy in the afternoons and especially on weekends, but don’t let that stop you. It has a range of glass-fronted restaurants that offer great food and an amazing view of the beautiful city from the top. The restaurants around here are few and very expensive because of the view they provide. If you don’t want to spend too much money on refreshments, it is a good option to carry your own food and water. It is 9.5 km from the city center. You can reach the mountain by car via Al Thawra st which is the fastest route.
Going up the mountain requires a bit of a hike but the experience is worth the work. Climb Mount Qassioun to see the city of Damascus as if it were in the palm of your hand. The mountain that overlooks the city represents a site connected to numerous legends, both Christian and Islamic. The mountain houses the endemic species of iris, which can be found on the steep eastern slopes at an altitude of 1,200 m (3,900 ft) above sea level. The Syrian government has not given the species any protected status. Its only benefiting factor was that part of the habitat of the species lies within a military area near the ‘Qassioun Republican Guards Military Base’ and other military facilities, which prevents civilians from accessing the area. The base and steepness of the habitat also prevents construction or development, but it is still classified as critically endangered. Visiting the mountain during the night is a different experience. The city lights are breathtaking and look like a million stars twinkling in the galaxy. Take your camera along for beautiful photo opportunities with the city in the backdrop so you can enjoy and document this amazing view.
For the most breathtaking panoramic photos of Damascus, you must visit mount Qasioun. Overlooking Damascus, the mountain offers the best location to capture the city. It is a very popular location for photography among local photographers, especially when it comes to capturing the sun rising and setting behind the horizon.
Also, the mountain carries some biblical significance, as it is said to be the site where Cain killed Abel. During the Syrian Civil War, the mountain has been entrenched with government troops, as it is a strategic location from which to protect the city.
The special connection of Mount Qasioun and the people of Syria is perpetuated by oral and written histories signifying what the Mountain has meant to this region since prehistory. On the slopes of Jabal Qasiun, just above the “Ala agsadona” camp, is a cave, which, it is said, the first man, Adam, inhabited for a period. Historians have recorded a variety of stories about Abraham, and Jesus also having sheltered and prayed in it. Medieval Arab history books speak additionally of it as the site where Cain killed Abel. The impression of a large hand on a rock inside the cave was supposedly made by Abel as his brother murdered him. Some scholars believe that the name of “Damascus” comes from the Aramaic “demashk”, which means “blood brother” or “innocent blood spilled.” However, this etymological explanation of the name of the city is not proven and is rejected by many scholars. Moreover, it has been known for hundreds of years as a place where prayers would immediately be accepted by God and in Syrian history when a calamity threatened the people, and especially in times of drought, rulers of Damascus would climb to the cave and pray for safety and often for rainfall.
Because of the murder that took place there, claimed to be the first committed, it is called Magharat al-Dam (the Cave of Blood). The cave is at the top of hundreds of steps that lead from a narrow and precipitous laneway winding steeply upwards through a poor neighborhood in the Reku Aldeen district called Hajeh Anyseh, built into the side of Mount Qasioun. In the close packed houses of Hajeh Anyseh, people are aware that they live near the place which saw the first murder in human history. They relate what happened then to their own lives which are filled with violence. According to Sunni Muslims, Mount Qasioun is the site of the mihrabs (prayer niches) of the 40 arch-saints, known as the Abdal, who are said to pray the night vigil prayers every night. A small mosque has been built over the Cave of Blood containing these mihrabs.
Further down the mountain from the ‘Cave of Blood’, there was another cave known as (the Cave of Hunger). Stories about this cave are somewhat confused. Some say that forty saints died there of hunger. Al-Harawi, however, who lived in the 13th century, writes that it is said that forty prophets died there of hunger. At present, the cave has been concealed by surrounding houses, but that spot is called roughly ‘the Place of the Hungry’.
On another flank of the same mountain is yet another cave, which has come down in local legend as being the cave of the Seven Sleepers, mentioned in early Christian sources, as well as in the Quran, where they are known as the Ashab al-Kahf (Companions of the Cave). This is rather dubious, however, and it is only one of many caves in this part of the world that share the claim. A madrasa has been built over the cave, but pilgrims are still granted access.

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