900 Years Ago, Damascus Treated Mental Illness Better Than We Do | Dr. Francesca Bocca-Aldaqre

Help us expand our Muslim media project here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membership

Donate to our charity partner Baitulmaal here: http://btml.us/thinkingmuslim

In this episode of The Thinking Muslim, we sit inside the historic Al-Nuri Bimaristan in Damascus with Dr. Francesca Bocca-Aldaqre to explore one of the most remarkable institutions in Islamic civilisation.

The bimaristan was not simply a hospital. It was a place of healing that understood the human being in their entirety, body, mind, and soul. At a time when much of the world had yet to develop humane approaches to mental healthcare, Islamic civilisation had already built institutions rooted in dignity, compassion, and holistic care.

Together, we explore what made the bimaristan unique, from its patient-centred design and therapeutic environment to the waqf systems that sustained it for generations. We also reflect on what Syria has lost through war, what traditional Islamic approaches to healing can still offer today, and whether these institutions can once again play a role in rebuilding a wounded society.

As Syria looks toward recovery, this conversation asks an urgent question: can true reconstruction happen without healing the people themselves?

Here is Dr Francesca's profile if you wish to find out more about her:

https://linktr.ee/francescabocca

IG: https://www.instagram.com/francescabocca

Become a member here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membership

Or give your one-off donation here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/donate

Listen to the audio version of the podcast:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7vXiAjVFnhNI3T9Gkw636a

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-thinking-muslim/id1471798762

Purchase our Thinking Muslim mug: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/merch

Find us on: X: https://x.com/thinking_muslim

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-thinking-muslim/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Thinking-Muslim-Podcast-105790781361490

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkingmuslimpodcast/

Telegram: https://t.me/thinkingmuslim

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/thinkingmuslim.bsky.social

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@thinkingmuslimpodcast

Find Muhammad Jalal here:

X: https://twitter.com/jalalayn

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jalalayns/

Sign up to Muhammad Jalal's newsletter: https://jalalayn.substack.com

Website Archive: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this video are those of the individual speaker(s) and do not represent the views of the host, producers, platform, or any affiliated organisation. This content is provided for lawful, informational, and analytical purposes only, and should not be taken as professional advice. Viewer discretion is advised.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.