On the Slopes of Kassioun |
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Down the southern slope of the Djebel Qassioun are some old quarters with narrow streets where in summer the shade
gives a cool freshness. These quarters of Muhajirine, Salhiyeh and Akrad remind us, although they are not direct
heirs, that one of the most ancient human settlements of Damascus took place at the foot of this bare mountain.
A walk in these places spared from modernization will thus be a return to the old days of the Syrian capital. Visiting
these quarters you will observe with delight, details of a flowered balcony, the carved wood facade, the silhouette
of a minaret or the bulbous dome reminding the passer-by of the presence of numerous pious establishments (mosques,
madrassas, funeral monuments), or take a furtive glance into the shaded yard of a house where orange and lime trees
grow. For your information, should you not have the opportunity to be invited inside one of these traditional dwellings,
a traditional Damascene house of standing contains an inner yard surrounded by reception rooms, and rooms used
as kitchens and store. Rooms on the ground floor are cool in summer, rooms on the 1st floor are conveniently oriented
in such a way as to get the most sunshine during cold winter days. Many families may share these large houses.
Some terraces here and there where the slope is free of constructions will give you many views of this labyrinth
of yards and cells where the inhabitants live. At the same time they will open wide panoramic angles on the whole
city and the Ghouta, this miraculous oasis now living under the threat of the industrial octopus extending its
tentacles further and further in the direction of what were quiet villages. We must not forget, however, efforts
at forest-tree planting undertaken on Djebel Qassioun, where a forest is in the process |
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© UR Travel 2006