The October War Panorama

A round stone building stands at the northern entrance to Damascus, in the middle of a garden of some 62700 square metres. It opened in 1998 and tells the October War of 1973 as the Syrian army tells it. From a distance the building reads as a castle keep; the real subject is inside, on a single canvas.

Getting there

On Sixth of Tishreen Street, at the northern exit of the city. It is not within walking distance of the Old City; you get there by taxi or on a northbound service. The grounds are large. The gate faces the street.

What to see

The core of the building is a domed circular hall about 43 metres across. The panorama in the east wing is circular and made in one piece: 130 metres long and 15 metres high. It shows the Golan Heights from Mount Hermon to Tel al-Faras. The viewer sits on a rotating platform. A recorded narration runs while it turns. The building was put up with North Korean assistance, which the style of the reliefs inside makes plain. Oil panels in the great hall stage scenes from Syrian history: the treaty of the king of Ebla, Zenobia addressing her senate, Saladin after Hattin. The large murals in the galleries also depicted the president of the day.

Where things stand

After the change of government in December 2024 the building was ransacked and parts of it were wrecked. How much of the collection remains is not known. Nor is it clear whether the museum will be put back together. Ask whether the door is open before you set out.

Don’t miss

The carved stone panels either side of the entrance. The left one shows the Battle of Maysalun, the right one building and labour. Both are on the outer wall, so you can see them even if you cannot get inside.