Project Launch and Official Context

Damascus Governorate, in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism, launched the Qassioun Journey project at Mount Qassioun during a ceremony held on the evening of Tuesday 21 April 2026 at the Damascus Opera House. The event was attended by several ministers, the governors of Damascus and Rif Dimashq, the Presidential Adviser for Media Affairs, as well as ambassadors and representatives of economic and investment bodies.

Development Vision

Damascus Governor Maher Marwan Adlabi stated that the project integrates tourism, economic, social and cultural dimensions. He described Qassioun Journey as the first Syrian project to combine these sectors within a single framework, and said it complements rather than replaces the governorate's priorities in infrastructure, services and the return of displaced persons.

Adlabi said the project turns Mount Qassioun into an open space for public use, reversing its status as a closed area under the former regime.

Project Components

The descriptions below are taken from the project's own design presentation and its official website. The accompanying images are design renderings, not photographs of completed works. Several components remain at design or tender stage.

Flower Garden

The Flower Garden, initially presented as the Jasmine and Rose Gardens, is the project's landscape component, intended to add green space to the capital.

Damascus cable car (planned, not yet awarded)

A cable car is planned to link the Umayyad Park area with Mount Qassioun over a stated length of 2.4 kilometres, as presented at the launch. As of the project's official website, the cable car is listed as an investment opportunity covering design, construction, management and operation, and has not been awarded or built. This is consistent with the governor's statement that no investment opportunities had been granted apart from the parking facilities project.

Embrace of Nature

Terraces built from natural stone within an organised layout, with views over Damascus.

Bee Kingdom

An architectural form based on hexagonal beehive geometry, with circulation paths and seating areas intended for groups.

Fruit of Nature

The entertainment component, covering gaming, dining and events, with spaces planned for families.

Mushroom World

A facility designed to sit within the rocky terrain, with outdoor seating and glass facades providing views over the city.

Qassioun Wings

Spaces and walkways laid out to provide elevated views over Damascus.

Bridge of Memories

A glass floored walkway extending from the Qassioun Wings structure, presented as a viewing and photography point over the city.

Handicrafts Cave

A space for Syrian craft and heritage products, designed with stone facades following the mountain's contours.

Celebration Square

An open plaza with an amphitheatre, planned as a venue for events.

Qassioun Walkway

A pedestrian route with lighting, seating areas and viewing points over the city.

Qassioun Mosque

According to the project's official website, the mosque spans 660 square metres across two floors, with separate sections for men and women each having its own entrance, and accommodates around 450 worshippers.

Other stated components include free public seating areas and pedestrian pathways, an innovation boulevard for young people, spaces for traditional crafts, public services and accessibility routes for persons with disabilities, and new electrical and sanitation infrastructure.

Access and Investment

Governor Adlabi stated that 70 percent of the project is free and open to the public. Al-Ikhbariah reported the same figure in the narrower form of 70 percent of services being free of charge. No source published a characterisation of the remainder. Adlabi also said that no investment opportunities had been granted apart from the parking facilities project, and that remaining opportunities would be offered through a digital platform.

Reported Construction Progress

As of April 2026, Enab Baladi reported the Deputy Governor of Damascus for Technical Affairs, Moammar Dakak, as stating that completion of structural and infrastructure works had exceeded 80 percent. This figure was not published by SANA and has not been updated in the sources since. Independent reporting noted that final cost estimates, funding sources and the identities of contracting companies had not been disclosed.

Announced Economic Impact

Governor Adlabi announced more than 7,000 job opportunities alongside hundreds of small and medium investment prospects. These are prospective figures announced at the launch; no economic feasibility study was published, and the figures have not been independently verified. Minister of Tourism Mazen al-Salahani stated that the project was executed entirely by Syrian engineers and workers; the identities of the contracting companies were not disclosed, so this assertion could not be independently checked.

Announced Timeline

At the launch in April 2026, the governor stated that the targeted opening of most components was the end of summer 2026. The Minister of Tourism announced that similar projects would be launched in other governorates, beginning with Rif Dimashq.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who launched the Qassioun Journey project and when?

Damascus Governorate, in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism, launched it at a ceremony on the evening of 21 April 2026 at the Damascus Opera House.

Where is the project located?

On Mount Qassioun, overlooking the city of Damascus.

Is the cable car operating?

No. A cable car of a stated 2.4 kilometres between the Umayyad Park area and Mount Qassioun is planned, but the project's official website lists it as an investment opportunity that has not been awarded.

How many jobs is the project expected to create?

The governor announced more than 7,000 prospective job opportunities alongside hundreds of small and medium investment prospects. No feasibility study supporting the figure has been published.

How much of the project is free to the public?

The governor stated that 70 percent of the project is free and open to the public. No source characterised the remainder.

What construction progress has been reported?

As of April 2026, the Deputy Governor for Technical Affairs was reported as putting completion of structural and infrastructure works above 80 percent. Cost, funding sources and contractor identities remain undisclosed.

When was the project scheduled to open?

As announced in April 2026, the targeted opening of most components was the end of summer 2026.

UPDATE 02.08.2026

No opening has been announced. The project's official website describes the stations as still under development. No ribbon cutting, partial public opening or visitor figures have been published by any source, and SANA has published nothing on the project since 22 April 2026.

Current activity is commercial rather than operational. Through the project's official platform, Damascus Governorate has been releasing leasing offerings station by station: an offering announcement for the Flower Garden on 3 June 2026, for the Bee Kingdom on 8 June 2026, and a call for technical and financial offers for the gaming halls inside the Fruit of Nature building opened on 23 July 2026 and closes on 13 August 2026.

On the same platform, only the leasing track is active. The Investment Opportunities, Contracting and Undertakings, Service Providers, Tenders and Supplies, Startup Collaborations and Career Opportunities categories are all still marked as forthcoming. The cable car has not been awarded and does not appear as an opportunity of any type.

The most recent construction figure remains 86 percent of construction works, reported by Al-Watan on 22 April 2026. No completion percentage has been published since.

Note on terminology: platform announcements that use the word opening in relation to individual zones refer to those zones being opened to investors and lessees, not to a public visitor opening.