International Society for The History of Islamic Medicine

Abstract

This is the website of an international society whose purpose is to promote public awareness of contributions in the field of Islamic medical sciences. A statement by the Executive Council of the society explains that “there is a consensus among history of medicine researchers that early Arab and Muslim physicians played a very important role in the development of medical science for about eight centuries, during the renaissance of Islamic civilisation”. Despite this, only a small part of Islamic medical heritage has been studied and brought to public attention. The International Society for the History of Islamic Medicine was founded by an international group of physicians and historians, with the aim of reviving and celebrating this heritage. The organisation is now trying to establish a library to house old medical manuscripts and indexes, to publish a journal, to convene international conferences (every 2 years), and to allocate a prize, to be awarded every 2 years, for the best contribution to our understanding of the history of Islamic medicine.