Where is Mount Qasioun located?

Mount Qassioun

Mount Qasioun in the opening of the Seine; It is the mountain overlooking the capital, Damascus, and is surrounded by this city as the bracelet surrounds the wrist. It contains many caves and caves, due to its rocky nature. The holy ones coming from Jerusalem were the first to inhabit it. To escape from the oppression of the Franks.

Qasioun in Rabwa and Salihiya is considered a resort for kings, princes, and the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs, where they built palaces and stadiums, and it was the astronomical observatory of Al-Ma’mun. To monitor stars and planets.

Mount Qasioun site

Mount Qasioun is located in the Middle East region, in the Syrian Arab Republic located on the Asian continent, and it is the mountain overlooking the Syrian capital as a protector and guardian of the city. From a geographical point of view, it is considered an extension of the western Syrian mountain ranges, and it rises one thousand one hundred and fifty meters above sea level.

Etymology

Mount Qasioun was known to the Arabs by several names. Where it was known as Mount Damascus, as well as Jabal al-Sham, Jabal al-Tin, in addition to the Mountain of the Prophets, and it was mentioned in one of the sources as Qaisun and also Qaisun, and in the ancient Aramaic language; Qaysun, which means: final, or maximum, or extreme, and another, in addition to the maximum.

There are several narrations about the reason for naming it by this name. Some explain the word Qasiyoun from the source harshness, because it was harsh on the infidels, so they could not take from its rocks to make their idols, and also because it was hardened by its hardness, so grass and trees did not grow in it, like the rest of the mountainsides, and we find others attribute the name to a cave. Blood or the Cave of the Forty, where our master Adam - peace be upon him - lived near the soil (Badriya), and at its foot Cain killed his brother Abel, so the mountain opened to swallow his brother’s killer, and in it is the cave of Gabriel, where the angels came to console our master Adam - peace be upon him - with his murdered son Abel As God Almighty kept the traces of blood in his rocks, to be an example to the children of mankind.

Near the knoll in Nairab dwelt (Hannah); The mother of our Lady, the Virgin Mary, peace be upon her, and it is said that our master Yahya bin Zakariya and his mother stayed there for forty years, and later the disciples of Jesus - peace be upon him - came to her and they numbered forty, and the mosque erected there includes forty mihrabs.

It is believed in the east of Mount Qasioun in the village (Barzeh) that our master Abraham came down there, and as an expression of the sanctity and honor of this mountain it was said: “Between Barzeh and Cedar forty thousand prophets.”

It contains many monasteries and shrines for the righteous saints. Like the Monastery of Maran, the tomb of the Prophet Dhu al-Kifl - peace be upon him -, the shrine of the Prophet Yunus - peace be upon him -, and the tomb of the scholar Muhyi al-Din ibn al-Arabi, and in it the Prophet Yahya - peace be upon him - took refuge from the people of Ad in the cave below it, as well as the Prophet Elijah, and it is attributed that the master Christ and his mother Mary - peace be upon them both - had camped in the hill.

Neighborhoods located in Jabal Qasioun

One of the most important neighborhoods in Jabal Qasioun; We find the Al-Shuhada neighborhood, and its name is attributed to the three brothers martyrs who were killed in the conquest of Damascus, and were buried in it, and a mosque was erected for them. Arnous, we also find Al-Rawda, Abu Rummaneh, there is Al-Maliki, Al-Bashkateb, Sheikh Muhyiddin Bin Arabi neighborhood, Al-Murabit, Al-Haboubi neighborhood, in addition to Al-Shuhada neighborhood, Al-Jisr Al-Abyad, Al-Afif Avenue, and Al-Sharaf neighborhood.

Caves located in Qasioun

There are many natural caves and caves created by man, the most famous of which are:

The Cave of Al-Jawiyah: or (the hunger), and the reason for calling it that is that forty prophets resorted to it for fear of the infidels, and they had only one loaf of bread with them, so each one of them took the influence of his companion over him, until they all died of hunger.
The Cave of the Forty: or the Cave of Adam and the Cave of Damo, - we mentioned previously the reason for the name -.
Al-Shayyah Cave: It contains the tomb of Sheikh (Muhammad Al-Shayyah).

Some of what was said in the description of Qasioun

Many travelers and historians dealt with Mount Qasioun, where they excelled in describing it, so we find Sibt bin Al-Jawzi saying in it that it is a mountain where the soul rests in the place with it, and whoever lives in it does not find it comfortable for him to live in anything else, and Muhammad bin Tulun Al-Salhi said about it: “The people of the city lived in Damascus this mountain before To live in Damascus, they lived in it for generations of time, until when they multiplied, reproduced, and their knowledge and experiences advanced, they descended to the flat plain below it, so they built their city, Damascus, but their first city is Qasioun, so in it they grew up first and to it they returned.

Remember me rock

Everyone who visits Mount Qasioun must take a souvenir photo in front of the giant rock above, which is known as (Remember Me Rock), as this rock tells a painful love story, where a young man met his beloved at this rock, and he used to wander about her while she also exchanged him. Love, but her family forced her to marry someone else, so the young man could not accept it.