1.   Surrounding mountains make the site difficult to evacuate in an emergency and the area lies in an earthquake fault zone, adding to safety concerns.

2.   And the ubiquitous mountains make an imposing backdrop.

3.   The mountains made for a secure home for his ethnic group, the Alawite sect, a tiny branch of the Shiite school of Islam.

4.   Mountain biking made its debut on the dirt tracks and favorites Paola Pezzo of Italy and Bart Jan Brentjens of the Netherlands won the inaugural gold.

5.   Mountain biking makes its Olympic debut Tuesday, albeit without the mountain.

6.   With the approach of autumn, these mountains can make an especially memorable stop on a leaf-peeping tour.

7.   Cross-country mountain biking will make its Olympic debut in two years at Atlanta.