The exact location of Dayr Murran has not been identified, though the medieval sources indicate it was situated on the lower slopes of Mount Qasioun near the Bab al-Faradis gate of Damascus. It overlooked the orchards of the Ghouta plain that surrounded the city. The village was named after the large Christian monastery located within it, though its etymology is obscure. It translates in Arabic as the ash-tree monastery, which historian Dominique Sourdel considered a questionable name. He also doubts that the name has Syriac roots. Dayr Murran was known for its view of the saffron fields below and for containing abundant walled gardens and orchards. Its monastery was decorated with numerous mosaics.