AL-ZAHRAWI (SPANISH 936-1013) - MEDIEVAL MEDICINE

Al-Zahrawi served as the court physician to Al-Hakam II, the second caliph of Cordoba

Widely hailed as ‘the father of modern surgery’, Al-Zahrawi was the greatest surgeon of the Islamic Golden Age. In roughly the year 1000, he completed his 30-volume illustrated medical encyclopaedia Al-Tasrif, which was intended for medical students. Documenting Al-Zahrawi’s almost 50 years of medical experience, it discussed human anatomy and the pathology of diseases among other topics. It was influential on the development of both Islamic and European medicine and surgery, remaining as the standard textbook in medical universities for 500 years. Aside from his encyclopaedia, Al-Zahrawi holds the distinction of introducing around 200 new surgical instruments to the medieval world.