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The Medical Organization at the Ottoman Court |
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By: FSTC Limited, Tue 24 March, 2009 |
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The Ottoman imperial Palace was quite different from Western palaces and courts, for it was not only the residence of the Ottoman Sultans and their royal household, but also served to various other functions as well. In addition to being the seat of the imperial reign, it comprised schools and hospitals, and was a centre of trade, arts and crafts. With its about 10,000 inhabitants and 400 years of service, the Ottoman Palace was the centre of the health organization of the Empire. The following surveys the medical organization at the Ottoman court by focussing on the Topkapi Palace, founded by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in 1476.
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Women Dealing with Health during the Ottoman Reign |
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By: Nil Sari, Sat 28 February, 2009 |
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In the history of Islamic civilization, many hospitals were founded by women, either as wives, daughters or mothers of sultans. All health personnel were male at these hospitals. In the Ottoman period, the female patients were treated either at their homes or at the residences of the medical practitioners until the 19th century. This feature somewhat explains the rich varieties of females practicing medicine both in and outside the Ottoman palace. In this article, Professor Nil Sari, provides information on the various medical practices dedicated to female patients under the Ottomans.
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The Paracelsian Influence on Ottoman Medicine in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries |
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By: FSTC Limited, Wed 25 February, 2009 |
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Galen's concept of medicine which dominated the medical world almost nearly for fifteen centuries began to loose its importance in the 16th century. At that time, Paracelsus (1493-1541) introduced a new medical understanding based on chemical principles. The Paracelsian theory, which changed gradually medical practice, influenced modern Ottoman medicine to a great extent. Paracelsus, the Swiss doctor, was introduced in Ottoman medical writings as a German hakîm from Austria. In this artile, the multifaceted influence of his school on Turkish Ottoman medicine is describe by means of various examples.
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Circumcision Ceremonies at the Ottoman Palace |
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By: Nil Sari et. al., Thu 12 February, 2009 |
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Circumcision is widely practiced in all Islamic countries. Festivities pertaining to circumcision vary according to the regions and civilizations. In this report, circumcision festivities at the Ottoman Palace and the socioeconomic importance of the tradition are presented. The Ottoman circumcision technique is discussed, as are the miniature paintings, in manuscripts, written on the occasion of the circumcision of the sons of the Sultans. Because these festivities involved the participation of all classes of the society and all professions, they contributed to social and technical progress and led to developments in art, music, sports, and ideas.
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The Medical History Museum of Istanbul University: Project, Challenges and Academic Questions |
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By: Nil Sari, Sat 07 February, 2009 |
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This article is about the foundation of the Medical History Museum founded recently in Istanbul as part of the Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical School. The aim of this museum, founded by Professor Nil Sari in 1986, is to save old material from being lost, to be preserved for the following generations and to be used as a means of education for describing the evolution of medical knowledge and technology.
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The Simurgh: A Symbol of Holistic Medicine in the Middle Eastern Culture in History |
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By: Nil Sari, Sat 07 February, 2009 |
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This article discusses the view that the simurgh, a mythological bird with supernatural characteristics, was also a symbol of miraculous life and treatment, as related in stories and miniature pictures. Such as view is described specifically with examples of Turkish miniatures.
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Medical Sciences in the Islamic Civilization: Scholars, Fields of Expertise and Institutions |
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By: FSTC Limited, Mon 02 February, 2009 |
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The medical sciences and related fields have enjoyed great peaks in achievement through Muslim scholarship, which raised both standards of practice and the status of the physician. This article delves into the vast history of Muslim contribution in medicine, while also shedding light on lesser known scholars.
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Islam’s Forgotten Contributions to Medical Science |
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By: FSTC Limited, Fri 09 January, 2009 |
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Professor Aliya Khan and Assistant Professor Ingrid Hehmeyer The transmission of medical knowledge can be traced to some of the earliest writings in human history. Yet a particularly fruitful period for advancement in medical science emerged with the rise of Islam. For the most part, Western scholarship belittles the contribution of the physicians of the Islamic world. They are usually perceived as simple purveyors of Greek science to the scholars of the Renaissance. However, as it is argued convincingly in the following article, the facts show otherwise.
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Highly Valued Virtues of Classical Ottoman Turkish Medical Ethics: A View From Past to Future |
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By: FSTC Limited, Thu 08 January, 2009 |
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Virtues such as modesty, contentedness, fidelity and hopefulness expected from a physician must be perceived as general criteria of ethical standards, since principles are also the criteria for the preference of values, in a sense. Virtues are based on and directed by moral values, too. Ottoman medical ethics was based on the trust of people to physicians believed to be virtuous. Moral behaviour expected to be observed by physicians depended on virtues turned into regulations as guides for action. Several examples dealing with the subject are quoted from Ottoman medical manuscripts, and are discussed with respect to contemporary medical ethics in this article.
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The Invention of Spectacles between the East and the West |
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By: FSTC Limited, Wed 12 November, 2008 |
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The following article by the expert scholar Lutfallah Gari surveys the historical sources to uncover the ancient history of the invention of spectacles. To the question "where and when were they invented?", and after a close investigation in the some original sources and a survey of secondary literature, the author shows the evidence in favor of the determining role played by Arabs and Muslims in the early history of this tremendous tool.
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