A Glance at the Establishment of Asylum (Dar-al Majanin) in Islamic Civilization, ۱۶ A.D.

In traditional medicine, physicians believe in the spirit and soul as well as their effects on the health of the body; therefore, an important part of the medical texts is devoted to introducing the causes and treatments of mental illnesses and their disorders. The treatment method of mental patients is different depending on the type and severity of the disease. Prescribing suitable medicine, advice to exercise, proper nutrition, being away from loneliness and sadness were among therapeutic methods. Based on the severity of the disease, the patient sometimes needed special care and then was taken care of by the doctor's diagnosis at a therapeutic center. The establishment of  asylum is one of the significant and outstanding features in the Islamic civilization which has the same history of building hospitals. In this article, the history of building psychiatric hospitals is reviewed through a descriptive-analytical method resorting to authentic historical documents and references.