- It had a spacious square.
- It was ordered to be built with mastery.
- It was greatly decorated (more than what the ruler had asked for).
- Trees were planted that had a pleasant scent and were fruit-bearing.
- There was plenty of water running along all the rooms.
- It had four pools in the center. One of which had white marble.
- It had quality bedding (made of wool, linen, silk, etc.).
- There was a daily budget for expenses (such as food).
- It had pharmacies that produced medicines for the sick.
- Special clothes were given to the sick. Clothes suited for the day, others for the night and taking the current season into account.
- Those leaving the hospital would receive money if they were poor to cover expenses until they could work for themselves.
- It was open to the poor and rich.
- It was visited by the ruler every Friday when he used to inquire about the patients and how they were taken care of. He did this until he died.
One of the first hospitals in the Maghreb (Northwest Africa)
Did you know that in the period 1184 - 1199
/ 580 - 595
Almohad ruler Yaqub al-Mansur ordered a hospital (bimaristan) to be built in Marrakesh (Morocco). This was at a time when hospitals could rarely be found in most regions of the world.
It was described by the historian Abd al-Wahid al-Marrakushi (a contemporary) in the following way:
