Nur al-Din Bimaristan
Encyclopedia
Nur al-Din Bimaristan is a large medieval bimaristan
("hospital") in Damascus
, Syria
. It is located in the al-Hariqa
quarter in the old walled city, to the southwest of the Umayyad Mosque
. It was built and named after the Zengid
Sultan Nur ad-Din in 1154. The bimaristan is well known for its unusual portal, which displays an antique lintel and a curious flattened muqarnas
vault. It is also unusual in its full-scale Mesopotamian-style muqarnas vault over the vestibule. It was restored in 1975 and now houses the Museum of Medicine and Science in the Arab World.
s around a central courtyard. But other than that, the building is fully in the Damascene
construction tradition, and in fact stones from the outer enclosure of the antique temple were reused in it.
Bimaristan
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...
("hospital") in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. It is located in the al-Hariqa
Al-Hariqa
Al-Hariqa is a neighborhood in Damascus, Syria. It lies inside the walls of the old city south of the Citadel of Damascus between the late-Ottoman-era markets of al-Hamidiyah Souq and Medhat Pasha Souq. The neighborhood was known as Sidi Amoud after a famous holy man who was buried there...
quarter in the old walled city, to the southwest of the Umayyad Mosque
Umayyad Mosque
The Umayyad Mosque, also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus or formerly the Basilica of Saint John the Baptist , is located in the old city of Damascus, is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world...
. It was built and named after the Zengid
Zengid dynasty
The Zengid dynasty was a Muslim dynasty of Turkic origin, which ruled parts of Syria and northern Iraq on behalf of the Seljuk Empire.-History:...
Sultan Nur ad-Din in 1154. The bimaristan is well known for its unusual portal, which displays an antique lintel and a curious flattened muqarnas
Muqarnas
Muqarnas is a type of corbel used as a decorative device in traditional Islamic architecture. The term is similar to mocárabe, but mocárabe only refers to designs with formations resembling stalactites, by the use of elements known as alveole.Muqarnas takes the form of small pointed niches,...
vault. It is also unusual in its full-scale Mesopotamian-style muqarnas vault over the vestibule. It was restored in 1975 and now houses the Museum of Medicine and Science in the Arab World.
Architecture
The building is of the Iraqi type, in plan also, with a symmetrical disposition of four iwanIwan
An iwan is a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. The formal gateway to the iwan is called pishtaq, a Persian term for a portal projecting from the facade of a building, usually decorated with calligraphy bands, glazed tilework, and...
s around a central courtyard. But other than that, the building is fully in the Damascene
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
construction tradition, and in fact stones from the outer enclosure of the antique temple were reused in it.
External links
- Nur al-Din Bimaristan, at archnet.org