Al-Mansuri hospital chartered in Cairo

1268

The Mamluk sultan Qalawun ordered construction of a vast hospital in Cairo, to serve all comers regardless of wealth or creed. The bimaristan included wards for different diseases, a pharmacy, a library, and fountains. It would function for six centuries as a medical center. Musicians were employed to soothe patients, and a section for the mentally ill provided care centuries ahead of European practice.