Dar al-Shifa

Dar Al Shifaa (Arabic: دار الشفاء ‎), literally "house of health" or "house of cure", is the term used in the historical context of Islamic architecture to designate a building constructed for medical purposes, equivalent of a hospital or a clinic of our day.

Synonymous terms for this type of building were the Persian words "Bīmāristān", "Bīmārkhāna", "Šifākhāna" or (for mental illnesses) "Timarkhāna".

Alternative spellings for "Dar al-shifa" include "Dâr al-shifâ" or, in Turkish, "Darüşşifa".

The term often used as a name for many hospitals in few Arabic countries, as an example Dar Al Shifaa Private Hospital in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Some of the famous Dar Al Shifaa are indicated below;

• Gevher Nesibe Darüşşifa and Medrese (medical school) in Kayseri, Turkey
• Divriği Great Mosque's adjoining Turan Melek Sultan Darüşşifa in Divriği, Turkey
• Şifaiye Medrese (medical school) and Darüşşifa in Sivas, Turkey
• Bayezid II Külliye complex of buildings' Darüşşifa in Edirne, Turkey, a museum dedicated to medicine today