Bimarestan

Bimaristan is a Persian word meaning "hospital", with Bimar- from Middle Persian of vīmār or vemār, meaning "sick" plus -stan as location and place suffix. Bimaristans were institutions where patients were welcomed and cared for, which was a fundamental aspect of Islamic medicine. These hospitals were primarily located in the Islamic world from the early Islamic Golden Age through to the late Middle Ages.

History

The first known Islamic healthcare institutions were bimaristans, established by the 9th-century Persian physician Razi in Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age. The idea quickly spread across the Islamic world, with bimaristans appearing in cities such as Cairo, Damascus, and Cordoba. These hospitals were funded by the state and provided free care to anyone who needed it.

Structure and Function

Bimaristans were designed to be more than just places for treating the sick. They were also centers of medical education and research. Doctors would train students, conduct experiments, and develop new treatments and techniques. The hospitals were divided into departments, such as internal medicine, surgery, and orthopedics, each headed by a specialist physician.

Legacy

The bimaristan played a significant role in the development of medicine in the Islamic world. It was a place where knowledge was shared and new ideas were developed. The concept of the hospital as a place for the care of the sick and the advancement of medical knowledge was a significant contribution to the field of medicine.

See also

• History of hospitals
• Islamic Golden Age
• Medicine in the medieval Islamic world

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