Al-Salihiyya is the old quarter that climbs the lower slopes of Mount Kassioun in the northwest of the city. It was founded in the 12th century by Hanbali refugees from Crusader Jerusalem, who built a string of small mosques, madrassas and shrines that survive today. Many of the architects of the great buildings of the Old City lived here.
Walking up through Salihiyya is the best way to see how Damascus climbs the hill — narrow stepped lanes between high stone walls, occasional mosques with small minarets, glimpses of the Ghouta below. The Madrasa al-Omariya, founded by Saladin's father, and the Tomb of Muhi al-Din Ibn Arabi, the great Sufi philosopher, are both on the way up.
Continue uphill from Salihiyya for one of the views over Damascus from Jabal Kassioun (covered separately).