The capital of the Islamic caliphateempire kept changeding from one dynasty too the another and within. In each capital, an important medical centeres developed. Thus, by the end of the 13th century, there were many medical centeres spread throughout the Arab world. As this is an expansive subject in history, Space does not allow the description of all the hospitals built throughout these centuries. wWe, therefore, have chosen some of the important institutionsones which will be described according to the region where they were developed in.
Ash-Sham
Ash-Sham at that time included what is
known now as Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine., Damascus and
Jerusalem were the important cities.
Damascus: The first known hospital in Islam was built in Damascus in 706 A.D. by the Umayyad Caliph, Al-Walid (Hamarneh, 1962). The most important hospital built in Damascus in the middle ages was named An-Nuri Hospital, after King Nur Adl-Din Zinki in 1 156. This hospital was built during the Crusades War, hence the importance of it being s to fulfill a need for a well-equipped and well-staffed hospital. It turned out to be not only be first class in carehospital, but also as an excellentfirst class medical school. It is important to understand why books were expensive and limited in number in the middle ages. This was because they were hand-written as Because printing was not in processused until the middle of the 15thfifteenth century, books were hand-written and thus expensive and limited in number. The king donated a whole library rich in medical books to the hospital. The hospital adopted medical records, probably being the first first in history. From its medical school, many eminent physicians graduated, for example Ibn Anl-Nafis, the scholar who discovered the pulmonary circulation system. The hospital served the public for seven centuries and parts of it still exist today.
Jerusalem: In 1055
A.D., the Crusaders built Saint John's Hospital. By the end of the
11eleventh century, it expandedgrew to such an extent to include a
hospital, a palace for knights, and a convent for the nursing
sisters. The medical activities of the hospital were tremendous
because of the large number of daily admissions of patients,
pilgrims, and wounded soldiers. After the liberation of Jerusalem by
Salah adAl-Din in 1187 A.D., the hospital was renamed was changed
into Al-Salahani Hospital. He expanded the hospital, which continued
to serve the people until its destruction by an earthquake in 1458 A.D.
Iraq and Persia
Baghdad: In 750 A.D., Baghdad was elected asbuilt to be the capital of the Abbasid dynasty by the Caliph Abu-JGaifar Al- Mansur. In 766 A.D., he assigned the dean of the medical school of Jindi Shapur, Judis Ibn-Babtishu', to be the cCourt-p Physician and establish hospitals proportionate to the glory and prosperity of Baghdad.
When Harun Arl-Rashid followed (786-809 A.D.), he ordered the grandson of Ibn-Babtishu and his cCourt-pPhysician, Jibril, to build a special hospital named Baghdad Hospital. This hospital developed into an important medical centere. One of its chiefs was Al-Razi, the eminent iInternist.
In 918 A.D., the Caliph Al-Mujgtadir built two hospitals in Baghdad. One was on the east side of the city, which he named Asl-Sayyidah Hospital, after his mother. The other was on the west side of the city, which he named, Al- Mujgtadiri Hospital, after himself.
Another important hospital, was named Al-Adudi Hospital,. It was built in 981 A.D. after King Adud Ald-Dawlah. It was the most magnificent hospital built in Baghdad before modern times. In endeavouring toThe Caliph wanted outdo his predecessors, the caliph. It was furnished it with the best logisticsequipment and supplies known at the time. It had interns, residents, and 24 consultants attending its professional activities. Haliy Abbas, who wrote the famous book Liber Regius (Al-Malaki), was a member of staff. It was destroyed in 1258 when the Mongols, led by Holagu the grandson of GenghisGhingiz Khan, invaded Baghdad.
Egypt
Al-Fustat: In 872 A.D., Ahmed Ibn-Tulun built a hospital called Al-Fustat Hospital in the city Al-Fustat, which is now Old Cairo. It served the growing Cairo population for six centuries. It was divided into separate wards. On admission, the patients were given special apparel while their clothes, money, and valuables were stored until they were e time of their discharged.
Cairo: In 1284 A.D., King Al-Mansur Qalawun built the famousan important hospital named Al-Mansuri Hospital. The story behind its construction is interesting. King Al-Mansur Qalawun was an officer in the Muslim Arabian army fighting the Crusaders. While in the Holy Land, he fell sick and was admitted to An- Nuri Hospital. On recovery, he vowed that if he ever became the ruler of Egypt, he would build a great hospital in Cairo, even more magnificent than An-Nuri Hospital, for, the sick,. poor, and rich alike. At the inauguration ceremony, he asked for a cup of lemonade from the fountain that was filled with it instead of water for the occasion. After drinking it he declared that by taking it, he was signifying that the hospital was serving all people. from the king to the least of his subjects. (Hamarneh, 1962).
e. ThisIt was the best hospital built at that timethen as reported by the contemporaryaccording to travellers historians such as Ibn-Battuota and AEl-Kalkashandi. It was divided intohad different sections according to medical ailments for different diseases. Music therapy was used as a formline of therapyreatment for psychiatric patients. It served 4,000 patients daily and the patient's stay in the hospital was free. O moreover on his discharge, the patient was given food and money tofor compensateion for being out of work during his hospital stay. Al-Mansuri Hospital has served Cairo for seven centuries since its opening has been built. It is now used for ophthalmology and renamedcalled Qalawun Hospital. Its magnificentancient door is preserved in the Islamic Museum ofin Cairo.
North Africa
Tunisia: In 830 A.D., Prince Ziyadat
Allah I, built Al-Qayrawan Hospital in a district of the Qayrawan
city called Adl-Dimnah. Subsequently all hospitals in Tunisia were
called Dimnah instead of Bimaristan as they were called in the East,
which is a Persian word meaning a hospital. The Qayrawan Hospital
was characterized by spacious separate wards, waiting rooms for
visitors and patients, and female nurses from Sudan. The hospital
also had a prayer hallchapel.
Morocco: In 1190 A.D., Kthe king Al-Mansur Ya'qub Ibn-Yusuf , built a hospital in the capital city, MarakeshMarrakech, and named it the MarakeshMarrakech Hospital. It was a huge hospital beautifully landscaped with fruit trees and flowers. Water entered all the sections through aqueducts. Patients were provided with special apparel: one for winter and another for summer. The pharmacy was managedtaken care of by specialists called the Saydalah and there was an expensive private section where eacha patient was charged what is equivalent today to $1501 a day. One thousand years ago, this fee was quite expensive.
Andalusia
In 1366 A.D., Prince Muhammaed Ibn-Yusuf Ibn Nasr built the Granada Hospital in the city of Granada, which had a population of expanded to half a million population. The hospital represented the beauty of Islamicthe Arabic architecture in Spain and served the people until the fall of Granada in 1492 A.D.
