Reconstructing the Structural and Functional Model of Hospitals in Islamic Civilization (From Jundishapur to the Thirteenth Century AH)
Tārīkh-i pizishkī (i.e., History of Medicine),
Vol. 18 (1405),
4 April 2026
,
Page 1-12
https://doi.org/10.22037/mhj.v18i.50866
Abstract
Background and Aim: In the Islamic civilization period, Hospitals as pioneering institutions in providing healthcare services, medical education and knowledge production, played an irreplaceable role in the history of medicine. However, a comprehensive reconstruction that integrally explains the structural and functional model of these hospitals-covering their various organizational and operational dimensions-has not yet been presented. The present study aims to reconstruct the structural and functional model of hospitals in Islamic civilization (from the Jundishapur era to the 13th century AH), with emphasis on the requirements for their establishment, administrative, financial, academic and physical structures, as well as their interaction with patients.
Methods: This research employs a descriptive-analytical approach, based on primary historical sources and works related to the history of medicine and hospitals of the Islamic civilization period (authored by contemporary scholars). Data were collected and analyzed with the aim of extracting the structural and operational patterns of these hospitals.
Ethical Considerations: The research was conducted as a library-based study and throughout all stages, the principles of academic integrity and proper citation of sources were observed.
Results: The findings indicate that the hospitals of Islamic civilization were formed within a coherent framework, both structurally and functionally. While drawing upon earlier medical traditions, particularly the heritage of Jundishapur, they evolved within the context of Islamic values and transformed into advanced institutions that integrally provided treatment, medical education and knowledge production. Among their most significant features were specialized medical wards, educational spaces and libraries, a financial system based on endowment (waqf), well-defined administrative structures, and the provision of healthcare services based on ethical principles without any discrimination. Furthermore, a regular payment system for physicians and staff, along with the provision of welfare services for patients, played a key role in the sustainability and efficiency of these institutions.
Conclusion: The hospitals of Islamic civilization were systematic and advanced institutions that integrated treatment, education and research within a framework of defined administrative, financial, academic and physical structures, and based on a supportive, service-oriented approach toward patients. Accordingly, a comprehensive reconstruction of their structural and functional model is of considerable significance.
- Hospital
- Medical History
- Islamic civilization
- Jundishapur
How to Cite
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