Zabadani is a mountain resort town about 45 km northwest of Damascus, sitting at 1,175 metres in the Anti-Lebanon range. Before the civil war it was one of the most popular summer escapes for Damascenes — the air is cool, the surrounding plain is filled with orchards of apples, cherries, plums, and pears, and the source of the Barada river rises here, forming a small lake that was once ringed by cafes and restaurants.
The Barada is the lifeblood of Damascus, irrigating the Ghouta oasis around the city. Zabadani suffered heavy damage during the Syrian conflict and much of the town's infrastructure was destroyed. The future of this once-charming resort town remains uncertain.