Medical Sciences Activity in Egypt and the Levant During the Mamluk Era (648–923 AH / 1250–1517 AD)

Abstract

This study explores the flourishing of medical sciences in Egypt and the Levant during the Mamluk era (648–923 AH / 1250–1517 AD), focusing on the educational and healthcare institutions that were established during this period. It highlights the crucial role played by scholars, physicians, and Mamluk sultans in promoting medical knowledge and practice. Adopting a historical-analytical approach, the research examines the religious, political, social, and economic contexts that fostered this intellectual revival. Particular attention is given to bimaristans (hospitals) as centers for both medical treatment and education, in addition to mosques, libraries, and scholars’ residences that functioned as academic hubs. The study also reviews the medical curricula adopted at the time, alongside major scholarly contributions by Levantine physicians in fields such as preventive medicine, ophthalmology, surgery, and pharmacology. The findings indicate that a combination of supportive political governance, interfaith social harmony, and scientific patronage transformed the Levant into a leading center of medical advancement during the Mamluk period.